Violence roundup: week ending 22 October

● Gunmen shot and killed Sivapatha Sharma, 40, a Saivite priest, in Vavuniya. He was one of the organisers of a vigil group against theft and robberies. The police said there was no known political or military motives for the killing.

● The body of Jeyaratnam Jesuthadasan, 27, was found with gun shot injuries along St. Antony's Lane in Trincomalee town.

● Armed men opened fire on a police sentry point at 39th Colony, Amparai, seriously injuring a home guard. The STA, STF and police cordoned off the area and conducted a search operation, recovering a T56 type assault rifle with its magazine.

● A SLA trooper was seriously injured when a claymore attached to a tree along the Uddupiddy-Vathiry road near Irumpu Mathavady exploded on soldiers returning to their camps in Nelliyady after conducting a cordon and search operation in Vathiry.

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The SLA’s 51-4 Brigade operates in the area west of Chemmani and another brigade of the SLA's 55th division operate in the FDLs near Ariyalai South, Kilali areas. The two brigades control the areas of Navatkull, Kaithadi and Chemmani and are widely believed responsible for the disappearances of the youths. However, officials from both brigades have rejected the accusation and said that they are unaware of the disappearances.

● There were reports that the SLA and LTTE exchanged artillery fire near Muhamalai FDL.

October 21

● The body of a youth abducted by armed men on Wednesday was recovered Saturday with assault injuries. Kanthasamy Sureshkumar, 17, of Mavadivembu in Eravur, was abducted at Santhanamadu in Sithandy, and his body was discovered in the centre of Sithandy three days later.

● The bodies of two Tamil young fishermen who left Pesalai, Mannar, Friday afternoon for fishing, were found with several gunshot injuries Sunday inside their fibre glass fishing boat about 15 km off Pesalai coast. Savarian Robinson Koonja, 19, and Sahayam Ajith Croos, of Pesalai had left in their fibreglass boat to cast nets in deep sea Friday. The villagers had launched a search operation when they failed to return and searchers found the bodies in their boat, drifting at sea. Each body had more than twenty gunshot injuries and the boat had also been heavily shot up.

● One SLA trooper was seriously injured when a claymore attached to a tree exploded on soldiers returning to their camps in Nelliyady after conducting a cordon and search operation in the Vathiry area of Jaffna. Unconfirmed reports said there were fatalities in the explosion.

● The family of Karuppiah Sinniah, 32, of Periyakamam in Mannar, who disappeared eight months ago, has sought the assistance of the SLMM and the SLHRC to trace his whereabouts. The family suspect that he could have been arrested by Sri Lankan armed forces. Sinniah had gone on his motorbike to check his paddy fields on 27 December, but he failed to return.

October 20

● The Sea Tigers retaliated against a SLN flotilla that launched an attack on Tiger vessels in the seas off LTTE territory in Nagarkovil. The Sea Tigers chased the SLN flotilla towards Kudathanai, damaging two Dvora Fast Attack Crafts, LTTE officials said. Fishermen in Point Pedro said the SLN personnel withdrew and landed in Point Pedro following heavy clashes in the seas.

SLAF helicopters and SLN vessels resumed attack on the Sea Tiger flotilla that was returning to Mullaithivu. Sri Lankan military officials in Colombo claimed that they had sunk 3 LTTE boats and killed 20 Sea Tigers.

● The SLA in Varany, Thenmaradchi, began firing artillery shells towards LTTE controlled areas.

● David Vikneswaran, 35, and his wife Thirukeswary Vikneswaran, 30, living at Maththegoda Housing Scheme in Maharagama, were kidnapped around 1:00 am Thursday and their bullet riddled bodies were recovered by Police in the Piliyandala area around 6:00 am in the same morning.

● Regi Balananthan, 30, was kidnapped at Aluthmawaththa, around 10:00 pm Thursday and his bullet riddled body was found at roadside in Ragama.

● The People Vigilance Committee, a committee comprising a number of political parties and civil right organizations in Colombo, in press release said nine Tamils have been killed and thirty-three have disappeared in the last few weeks in Colombo. The release added that nine people have been released after paying ransom. In the last two days three more Tamils, a trader Jeyaraja, 46, from Moratuwa, Maheswaratheepan, 25, from Modara, and Shan George, 15, a student from Mattakkuliya, have disappeared, PVC said in its press release.

● Three members of a family, including a 3 year old boy, were seriously injured when high explosive artillery shells fired by the SLA from Valaichenai brigade and Sinhapura camps hit their house. The soldiers were firing towards residential settlements in LTTE controlled Vaharai. M. Sivanathan 28, M. Sivamalar 22 and M. Siyan 3 were seriously injured in the shelling that continued for more than an hour, and seven houses were badly damaged.

● Gunmen called Thiyagarajan Thilainathan, 28, out of his house at Karavedy along Arasady-Sonappu Road, shot him dead, and escaped.

● Kanthan Uthayakumar, 32, a trader from Karavedy East in Vadamardchchy, was shot in Karavedy by gunmen who followed him in on a motorbike, while he was riding his bicycle.

● Armed men riding a motor-bike followed three friends riding their motor cycles and shot them at Rasa Veethy located between Masivan junction and Nilavarai in Valigamam East. Kulasingham Kunarasa, 28, a mechanic from Thunalai, Vellupillai Thiyagarajah, 59, a vehicle broker from Atchuveli, and Illayathamby Kirupananthan 32, a painter from Atchuveli, were all killed.

● Unidentified men used a hand pistol to shoot dead Kurusamy Kathiravelu, 44, of Koiathodam in Jaffna, at his food shop in front of Jaffna Teaching Hospital.

● In Athiyady, Point Pedro, gunmen shot dead Thavarasa, a labourer.

● A dead body with knife wounds was found dumped in a well at Neeraviady close to Jaffna Hindu College in Jaffna town. The victim was identified as Kuganthan, 28 from Yarl Road, Kantharmadam according to the particulars in the identity card found on his body. The knife wounds on the body led to speculation that Kuganathan was knifed to death before being dumped into the well. Residents said they heard gunshots from Kasthuriar Road and Kankesanthurai Road areas the previous night.

● An auto trishaw driver who disappeared after being last seen at a SLA check point in Jaffna Wednesday, escaped from the SLA camp in Chavakachcheri and appeared in Courts under the protection of SLHRC. The driver alleged he was taken to several SLA camps and was tortured while in SLA custody. Kandiah Kandeepan, 30, a father of two of Sivan Kovil Road, Chavakachcheri, told SLHRC officials that he was stopped and interrogated by soldiers at the Sarasalai Army checkpoint on 18 October.

After the interrogations, the soldiers had ordered him to take 3 other soldiers in his vehicle to the nearby Vannaththippalam Army camp in Vatharavaththai. There he was blindfolded and subjected to severe torture and transferred to various camps in Thenmarachchi region, Kandeepan said. On Thursday night SLA soldiers took him to Kompikkulamkadu area in Sarasalai, along the Chavakachcheri- Point Pedro road. Using the night time as cover, he said he managed to escape and took refuge at a house in Puthur. Friday morning he contacted the SLHRC who produced him before the Chavakachcheri judge, who gave orders to keep him in the custody of prison officers in Jaffna prison.

● Gunmen opened fire on a police road patrol unit at Pandarikulam, Vavuniya, seriously injuring a policeman. Police and the military cordoned off and searched the area immediately after the shooting, but no arrests were made.

October 19

l Sivasubramaniam Suthan, 31, was shot dead by gunmen who went to his home in Sandilippai North, Jaffna.

l Thuraisingam Thavachchelvan, 31, was shot dead by an unknown person who visited him at his house, located 200 meters from a military checkpoint, in Puththur East, Valikamam.

l Unidentified persons shot dead Rajagopal Karunakaran, a Tamil fisherman of Division No: 10 of Trincomalee town.

l A Pillayar temple, a Multi-Purpose Co-operative Society building and 13 houses were badly damaged when SLAF Kfir attack aircrafts bombed civilian settlements in Tharavai and Iralakulam in LTTE Batticaloa district. There were no injuries as residents had sought safety in the jungles and other places when the bombings began Wednesday. However, a large number of livestock including goats and cattle were injured or killed in the bombing.

l Unidentified men activated a claymore mine at Pathiniyar Mahilankulam in Vavuniya killing two SLA troopers of a road patrol unit on the spot.

l A civilian from Thavasikkulam, Mirusuvil in Thenmarachchi region was killed when a shell exploded in the area. Sporadic exchange of artillery fire between the LTTE and the SLA continued across Muhamalai FDL.

October 18

l Heavy fighting between the SLN and LTTE was reported near the coast of Karainagar in Jaffna Islets.

l Armed persons shot and injured Veera Arachchilage Antony Silva, 38, a father of two, at his residence in Pesalai.

l The body of a male, estimated to be 25 years old, with gunshot wounds, was found at Paalpannaiyadi, Thirunelvely within Jaffna Municipal limits. The man was riding a bicycle when he was shot dead.

l Two SLA troopers were seriously injured when unidentified men riding a motorbike hurled a hand grenade towards the soldiers on foot patrol in Neervely. Arumugam Joseph, 60, from Neervely, was seriously injured when soldiers fired indiscriminately following the attack.

l A claymore aimed at a military convey in Chavakachcheri in Thenmarachchi region, exploded but missed the intended target. Following the attack, the SLA conducted a cordon and search operation in the area, but no one was arrested.

l Piriyaliny Karalasingam, 32, a mother of one, living at Selvanayagam Road, Batticaloa, was shot dead by gunmen who called her name and shot her dead at point blank range near her house gate. Mrs. Karalasingam is from Muthur and was staying in a relative's house when she was killed. Her husband is working in a Middle East country.

l Vairamuttu Arasamma, 52, was killed in Karadiyanaru when 2 SLAF Kfir bombers dropped more than five bombs on the civilian settlement. In the same bombing, M. Roshan, 38, and K. Gopu, 10, were wounded in Paalchenai. Both villages are in LTTE controlled territory northwest of Batticaloa town. Six houses were destroyed in the SLAF bombing, and two of the five bombs in Karadiyanaru did not explode.

October 17

l Gunmen in a white van abducted a Muslim youth from his home at Kavathamunai MPCS Road in Valaichenai. Relatives of Mohamed Thaheem 21, a trader, registered a complaint with Valaichenai police. Residents speculated a local business related dispute might have been the reason for the abduction.

l Armed men attacked a police sentry point, manned by five home guards, at Thamanabantha, Amparai, seriously injuring one of the home guards, identified as M. Samantha. Police and home guards reinforcements rushed to the site, cordoned it off and searched the surroundings., but no onewas arrested.  

l Gunmen shot dead a police constable attached to Kallady police station in Batticaloa at a bus halt close to the Kurukal Madam STF camp in Batticaloa. llayathamby Ilankeswaran, 43, a father of four, of Kurukal Madam, died on the spot when gunmen fired at him as he was waiting for a bus on his way to work.

l  SLMM officers Edward and Bjørn Kjelsaas, accompanied by LTTE Amparai District Political Head S. Jeya, inspected the houses and properties destroyed by STF artillery shelling, and spoke with the affected civilians. Earlier, Mr Jeya, had briefed the SLMM on the previous week’s pre-dawn offensive of the Sri Lankan STF into LTTE controlled Kanchikudicharu. The SLMM officers told Mr Jeya that STF had stopped the SLMM from visiting the affected area sooner, saying that fighting was going on between the LTTE and Karuna group and that it was not safe.

l Armed men opened fire on a SLA unit of the Murakodanchenai SLA camp at Sithandy, Eravur, seriously wounding one trooper, M. K. Senivaratne, 33. The SLA retaliated following the attack but no one was hurt and no one was arrested in the search operation conducted by the SLA after the attack.

l Two SLAF Kfir bombers destroyed the main broadcast tower and transmitter of the Thamileelam Radio that broadcasts the Voice of Tigers, official broadcast of the Liberation Tigers, Thamileelam Vanoli, a commercial Tamil service and a Sinhala language broadcast.

l A claymore mine placed near the sixth mile post along Trincomalee-Nilaveli road exploded, but no one was injured. Security officers said the claymore had been targeting a navy vehicle carrying troops, but exploded after the SLN vehicle passed the site.

October 16

l Vehicles along key roads leading to Trincomalee and Batticaloa came under attack by Sinhala gangs in Habarana, following a bomb attack that claimed more than one hundred SLN lives. Gangs have hurled stones at vehicles belonging to Tamils and Muslims, with at least twenty vehicles including state, private buses and cars being damaged. Several passengers were also injured in the incidents. Sinhala gangs operating under the cover of darkness were allegedly being assisted by SLA soldiers and police personnel in uniform, affected passengers said. The attacks also occurred near the Habarana Police Station.

l Arivucholai, an orphanage housing 216 children in LTTE controlled Puthukudiyiruppu, Mullaithivu, narrowly escaped a catastrophic air-strike from SLAF Kfir aircrafts, which dropped two bombs on the playground and the bathing facility of the orphanage. One boy was wounded.

l Muthu Mohanaraja, 24, was shot dead in Anpuvallipuram, a suburb in Trincomalee town, where he had been residing. He was employed as driver in the World Bank funded North East Housing Reconstruction Project.

l A policeman attached to Valvettithurai police station and a SLA trooper were killed by a remotely triggered claymore blast, when the SLA road patrol was attacked between Udupidy and Valvetithurai in Vadmaradchchi north. The unit was on its way to Valvettithurai from the Udupidy junction SLA camp when the attack occurred. The claymore device was attached to a bicycle left leaning on the wall of an abandoned Christian cemetery.

l Two girls were killed and 15 civilians wounded when SLAF bombers attacked Kaiveli, a village in Puthukudiyiruppu. (See separate story)

l Gajathu Mohamed Mustafa, 43, of Vinayaga Mudaliyar Road, Point-Pedro, the husband of a Tamil woman, was stopped and shot dead at Oddadi Road in Pt. Pedro while on his way to Pt. Pedro town.

l Vairamuthu Nallathamby, 58, a family man of Thunnalai in Vadmaradchchi, who had gone on a personal errand to Viyaparimoolai, was shot dead by unidentified men.

l A SLAF Israeli-built Kfir bomber came down as it took off to bomb LTTE territory, falling into the Negombo lagoon. The pilot ejected before the Kfir came down, Sri Lankan military spokesman Prasad Samarasinghe said.

l Markandu Mahendran, 39, who served as Grama Sevaka in Ariyalai for several years was shot dead by unknown gunmen at his residence in Ariyalai, Jaffna.

l Two gunmen arrived at the house of Selliah Nanthan, 42, in Tellipallai Road, Vaddukoddai, and shot and killed him at close range.

l Ariyathurai Ariyasivam, 40, who runs a tea-shop in the central part of Jaffna town, was shot dead by gunmen at his business premises. Ariyasivam, a father of four, was displaced from Mandaitivu and was residing in Kokuvil.

l Iranagama Sooriyasinghe, 56, a Sinhala civilian who settled in Viyaparimoolai in Vadmaradchy, was shot dead by gunmen when he was on his way to a nearby shop to buy provisions. Sorriyasinghe is originally from Galle, according to sources.

October 14

l Wilfred Gamini, 45, a fisherman and father of five, from Thalavai in Eravur, Batticaloa was abducted, by unidentified armed men from his house in Sinnathamby Road. He was forcibly taken by men who had entered the house by breaking the door.

l An unidentified Tamil man was found shot dead with his hands tied behind his back.