24 July
One SLA soldier was killed when unidentified gunmen, waiting in ambush, fired at a group of soldiers at Kaddaiadampan, Mannar. The firefight ensued for about half an hour. W. D. P. C. Priyatharshana, who was seriously wounded, succumbed to injuries.
Unidentified men shot and killed Maha Kanapathipillai, a senior member of the paramilitary Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP), in Wellawatte, Colombo. Maha Kanapathipillai was responsible for Public Relations of EPDP leader Douglas Devananda who is the Sri Lankan Minister of Social Services and Social Welfare and an ally of President Mahinda Rajapakse. The incident took place on All Ceylon Buddhist Congress Road in Wellawatte and Maha Kanapathipillai, 55, rushed to Kalubowila hospital with gunshot wounds, succumbed to his wounds.
Thirukovil Police recovered the bullet riddled bodies of two Tamil youths in Porakalappu, Thirukovil, Batticaloa. The bodies were identified as belonging to Kandiah Thivakaran, 21, a mason by profession of Vinayagapuram and Jeyapragasam Jeyaraj, 23, a labourer.
Two Tamil youths, Kumaranayagam Sasikaran, 23, and Manoharan Rajendran, 22, both tractor drivers by profession, had sustained injuries in a shooting incident that took place around Sunday midnight in the vicinity of Thirukovil Sithira Velauthar Temple where the annual festival was being held.
At least four hand grenades were detonated Monday morning before the water cutting festival of the temple commenced in the sea shore located close to the temple.
Unidentified persons shot dead Nagarajah Suntharalingam, 34, at Poonagar in Eachchilampathu.
Serunuwara Police also recovered the body of a home guard, identified as Nissanka Ranjith Bandara, from Sri Mangalapura, a Sinhala settlement located close to Serunuwara police station. Nissanka Bandara had been cut to death on Sunday night.
23 July
A Tamil and a Sinhalese were found shot dead at a graveyard in Thonikkal, Vavuniya. Police suspected that the victims were persons involved in petty theft and burglary in Vavuniya area for a long time. The Sinhala victim is a Homeguard from Madukande and the other is a Tamil from Rasendrakulam in Vavuniya. Their hands were bound and eyes were covered when the police recovered the dead bodies.
SLA soldiers conducted an early morning cordon and search operation in Suthanthirapuram, Vavuniya and arrested four civilians on suspicion of having links with the LTTE, Vanni district parliamentarian Sivanathan Kishor said. The arrested four, Velayuthan Saivaruban, 27, Mylvaganam Ketheeswaran, 23, Chelliah Govindarajan, 55, and Thaavalan, 25, were transferred to the Vavuniya Police after the relatives complained to the parliamentarian who intervened on their behalf.
Emily Janoos, 58, a senior member of the paramilitary EPDP was shot dead by gunmen at Uoorkavatturai, Jaffna as he was riding his bicycle over Kayts Bridge. He was a member of the Uoorkavatturai Pradeshya Sabha.
A 45-year-old man was found shot dead in Karainagar, an islet off Jaffna. Unidentified gunmen shot and killed Somasundaram Thirugnanasmbandar, at his house.
Unidentified gunmen shot and killed Thirunavukarasu, 67, in Mallakam, Jaffna. Civilian sources in Mallakam alleged that the victim was an informer to the SLA in the area.
Two SLN soldiers were injured, one seriously, when gunmen riding a motorbike hurled hand grenades at the soldiers engaged in security duties in Vankalavady in Velanai, Jaffna. Two civilians were injured following indiscriminate firing by the SLN soldiers on pedestrians after the grenade attack. The attack was third within the last two months inside the SLN High Security Zone (HSZ) in Velanai – a SLN petty officer was killed on 6 July, and an EPDP supporter was shot dead in June.
Two youths were shot dead in Kalviyangkadu, Jaffna, by gunmen who followed the youths on a motorbike. Gunmen followed Selvam Sutharsan, 22, from Nallur Temple Road and his friend Anton Kanagaratnam Thushyanthan from Thalayadi Road, Thirunelvely, Jaffna who were also riding a motorbike, and unloaded a hail of bullets at the victims. Both died on the spots. Residents also said that both victims were suspected to be involved in the robberies and killing in the neighbourhood.
22 July
Mr. A. Nagamani, 55, a civilian from Ottumadam, Jaffna, was shot dead in front of his house. The gunmen called Mr. Nagamani to come out of the house and shot him at point blank range.
The President of the Myliddy Fisheries Society was abducted by armed persons in a white van in Pt. Pedro, Jaffna. Justin Cruz, 35, was riding his bicycle along College Road when he was abducted. Local residents, on hearing a man shouting for help, arrived at the spot and saw a white van speeding away. “The men in the van were armed and they threatened to shoot us,” an eyewitness told TamilNet. Cruz is a fisherman and a father of three. He was displaced from SLA’s Myliddy HSZ. His wife has made a complaint with the Human Rights Commission (HRC).
President of the Aathikovilady Fisheries Society and Board member of the Federation of Fisheries Societies, Vadamaradchi North, Mr. Rasathurai Inthirarajah, 38, has been reported “missing” since Friday, 21 July. He went missing while he was riding a bicycle from his home at Valvettithurai to the Fisheries Society office at Pt. Pedro.
A SLA soldier was killed and 3 seriously wounded in a claymore explosion at Meesalai, Jaffna. The soldiers were on a road clearing patrol on the A9, close to Meesalai Railway Station. Traffic through the A9 at Messalai was blocked and SLA troopers launched a cordon and search operation.
Unidentified motorbike-gunmen shot and killed two Tamil youths at Periyaneelavanai, Batticaloa. The victims were identified as Kirushnapillai Arumugam, from Kannankudah, and Sithambarapillai Kajeevan from Kaluthawalai.
The SLA shot dead a Tamil civilian N. Suthakar, 30, of Palamppadru in Thampalakamam division at Kachchakodithivu, Kinniya. Police sources said that the troops opened fire when the youth attempted to snatch a rifle from a soldier. Civil sources in the area said the youth was shot dead for no reason.
Two masked men riding a motorbike shot dead Cassim Bawa Abdul Rahim, 44, in Thoppur, Trincomalee, while he was returning home after morning prayers in a mosque in his village. The police detained a Muslim man with his motorbike in connection with the killing.
21 July
A 68-year old man was shot dead by unidentified gunmen at his house, in Urani, Puttur East, Jaffna. Two motorbike-riding gunmen asked Valli Krishnan to come out of his house and gunned him down.
Motorbike-riding gunmen shot and killed Sinnamani Tharmarajah, 28, as he was travelling in Kopay, Jaffna.
A mother and her two children were injured when a SLA truck travelling at high speed collided with a privately owned passenger van, trapping and injuring the three riding a bicycle in Kopay, Jaffna. The driver of the SLA truck lost control of the vehicle and hit the van travelling in the opposite direction, local witnesses said. Ms Raveendra Sivagankai, 32, Sambavan, 7, and Sambavi, 5, from Kopay North, were seriously injured in the incident.
A young woman, identified as Murukaiah Sukirtha, 25, a mother of one from Naatholai, Ilavalai, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen, riding a motorbike, in front of Nathan cinema in Jaffna town centre. SLA troops cordoned off the area and conducted a search, but no arrests were made.
Two Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs) were fired into the house of Batticaloa MP for the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), Mr. S. Jeyananthamoorthy. The parliamentarian, his wife, two children and their relatives, narrowly escaped the attack that caused damage to the roof of the house located in Batticaloa town. A policeman providing security was wounded in the attack.
20 July
Nadarajah Ravindrakumar, 29, from Ilavalai, the owner of a saloon in Inuvil, Jaffna, was shot and seriously injured by men riding a motorbike while he was opening his shop. He succumbed to his injuries at Jaffna Teaching Hospital.
Krishnapillai Srikrishnan, 22, was shot and killed by armed men, at Irupalai, Jaffna, by men on motorbikes. Civilians alleged that the killers were paramilitaries collaborating with the SLA.
Four civilians were injured when SLA soldiers fired at random following a grenade blast in Nallur, Jaffna. The injured were identified as K. Vasanth, 18, N. Gnanasekaram, 34, S. Yasithan, 25, and S. Sivanesalingam, 58. The troops opened fire after unidentified armed men hurled a grenade at the troops.
Motorbike riding gunmen shot and killed a shop owner in Kokkuvil, Jaffna, inside a SLA HSZ. Local residents blamed paramilitaries collaborating with the SLA for the killing. Sinnathurai Mangaleswaran, 47, who was seriously injured in the incident, succumbed to his injuries at the Jaffna Teaching Hospital.
Unknown gunmen shot dead Selvar Yogan, 60, a supporter of the paramilitary EPDP, in Atchuvely, Jaffna. The gunmen requested Mr Yogan to come out the house and shot him at point blank range before escaping from the area. Mr Yogan was an EPDP candidate in the 1998 local council elections and was an elected member of a Pradeshya Sabha.
A man, believed to be a local resident, was killed when SLA soldiers opened fire indiscriminately after two unknown assailants hurled a hand grenade into the SLA sentry located near St. Patricks College, Jaffna. The alleged assailants escaped after throwing the grenade.
Seven civilians, including a foreign woman married to a Sri Lankan, were injured when a bus carrying sailors in a SLN convoy crashed into their multi-passenger vehicle. The convoy was travelling from Colombo to the Trincomalee naval headquarters located inside the Dockyard. The damaged vehicle, belonging to a Christian society, was parked on the roadside on the orders of the personnel providing security to the convoy until the convoy passed through the road. However one of the buses in the convoy, which was being driven at high speed, suddenly swerved onto the side of the road and crashed into the parked vehicle.
Paramilitary cadres abducted 2 youths, Loganathan Kajan, 20, and Muththurasa Prabakaran, 27, from the villages in Valaichenai, Batticaloa. Parents of the abducted, gripped by fear and insecurity, did not complain to the police.
Three Tamil Eelam auxiliaries who were patrolling in LTTE-controlled Semamadu, Vavuniya district, were wounded in a claymore blast carried out by a SLA DPU. One of the three wounded was reported to be in a serious state. They had been on a regular road clearing patrol.
Three officials of the World Bank funded North-East Irrigated Agriculture Project (NEIAP) and the driver of their pickup, belonging to Mannar District Secretariat, were wounded in a claymore attack by a SLA DPU in Kokupadaiyan, Mannar. The vehicle was heavily damaged in the attack, but the officials narrowly escaped with minor wounds. A civilian motorcycle rider narrowly escaped another claymore explosion 200 meters from the spot.
The Manager of Manthai South Multi-Purpose Co-operative Society (MPCS) branch in Uyilankulam, Mannar, was gunned down by SLA troopers at Manatkulam Junction, while he was returning home. Police said that the MPCS manager was hit when SLA troopers opened fire after a grenade attack on the checkpost. Sindathurai Christy Anton, 40, a family man, was returning home to Puthukkamam from the MPCS shop in Uyilankulam.
19 July
A SLA Captain, a Lieutenant and a Lance Corporal were killed and 11 other troopers wounded when a bus carrying the troopers was ambushed with a claymore near Maruthanarmadam Junction, Jaffna. Five of the eleven SLA troopers wounded in the ambush, were in serious condition. The soldiers opened fire indiscriminately for fifteen minutes and beat up the civilians in the area after the attack, resulting in three civilians being rushed to Jaffna hospital. The wounded troopers, 1 officer, 8 SLA troopers and 2 policemen, were rushed to Palaly military hospital and three were airlifted to Colombo. Three civilians, V. Kajanthan, 21, K. Thurairajah, 62, both from Uduvil, Chunnakam, and D. Sabaratnayakam, 68, from Veemankamam, Tellippalai, were wounded when SLA troopers opened fire for 15 minutes after the attack. The bus was carrying 15 troopers, from Uduvil SLA camp, who were to leave Jaffna on vacation to their homes in South, SLA sources said.
Gunmen, riding a motorbike without licence plates and allegedly associated with the SLA, shot three youths who emerged from a playground in front of Kopay Teachers Training College and escaped. Gunasekaram Matheeswaran, 21, from Kondavil and Navaratnam Dinesh, 23, from Irupalai, were rushed to hospital. Rasaratnam Parthipan, 30, had escaped from the site and was later admitted to Jaffna hospital. Residents allege the attackers were SLA operated paramilitary cadres.
Satkunam Suthaharan, 26, and Murugesu Sivakumar, 23, were found shot dead in Paalameenmadu, Batticaloa. They had been abducted, allegedly by paramilitary Karuna Group cadres, on 16 July. A note claiming that the two men were “traitors” who were being “punished” by the “sons of soil” was found beside the dead bodies. At an inquest into the deaths, the magistrate ruled that both deaths were murders.
Unidentified men shot dead a Tamil civilian, Mr. Gunarasa Thevan, 34, at Puthukudiruppu in Allesgarden, Trincomalee. Initial reports said two persons on a motorbike had called the deceased outside his house and had talked to him. Thereafter they shot him in the head and fled from the scene.
LTTE cadres thwarted an attempt by a Deep Penetration Unit (DPU) of the SLA to enter into the LTTE held area through its FDL in Eachchilampathu division, Trincomalee district. The soldiers fled from the area leaving a live claymore mine and other weapons at the site. They also took back injured soldiers and the number of casualties was unknown. One LTTE cadre Lieutenant Kuilan (Thevananthan Vino of Anpuvallipuram), was killed in the encounter.
18 July
A saloon owner standing outside his business was killed in blast shock and 4 SLA soldiers were injured when their tractor was hit by a road side claymore at Kodikamam, Jaffna. Two SLA soldiers and a 70-years old civilian inside the saloon were seriously wounded. A saloon worker was also wounded. The blast occurred on the road to Pt. Pedro, about 400 metres from the Kodikamam junction. The saloon owner who died on the spot was identified as Sinnathamby Nagarasa, 55, from Kudamiyan, Varani.
Batticaloa Police recovered the bodies of two youths with gun shot wounds from shrub jungles in Swiss village in Sathurukondan, Batticaloa. Murugupillai Mahadevan, 26, and Chinniah Somasunderam, 31, were abducted from their relatives house Monday night by unknown gunmen. The gunmen allegedly shot dead the men using a T-56 type rifle, dumped their bodies and escaped.
Eight civilians, all Tamil women, were injured in an explosion that took place in Anpuvallipuram, Trincomalee. The women were engaged in a shramadana (voluntary work) campaign, cleaning the side walks along the road, when the explosion occurred. Police claimed a bomb hidden in the refuse had accidentally detonated during the cleanup activity.
17 July
A SLA soldier riding a bicycle was killed and two SLA troopers seriously injured, when a claymore attached to a parked bicycle exploded in Jaffna town. The soldiers were on their way to supply meals to SLA checkposts when they came under attack. Four civilians were also injured, one seriously, by the explosion and when the soldiers fired indiscriminately after the attack. The injured civilians were identified as Joseph Sasiraj, 23, S. Sangilithevar, 53, Sivam Indrakumar, 50, and Kumaran, 27, all from Jaffna.
Five SLN troopers were seriously injured when a route clearing patrol of the SLN hit a claymore placed along the road in Sampaltivu village, Trincomalee. One of the five later succumbed to injuries after being admitted in the Colombo general hospital. Security forces immediately launched a cordon and search operation in the village following the claymore explosion. Several civilians were detained and questioned during the search operation.
A civilian was injured when shells fired by SLA soldiers from Punani camp hit Vakaneri, Batticaloa. More than 50 shells hit the village, Mr. P. Daya Mohan, Batticaloa district LTTE political head, told TamilNet. The shelling continued for 30 minutes from 10 a.m., he said. The wounded civilian was identified as Kanapathipillai Krishnapillai.
At least 12 residential homes were set ablaze in Iyankerni Saspuram, Batticaloa, before nightfall on Monday, during factional fighting amongst the villagers. The hacking to death of a local mason, Savuntharan Chandrakumar, 23, outside the village grocery shop by unidentified persons Friday night, is suspected to be the likely cause of the violence. Although several homes have been destroyed only one resident registered complaint to the police.
16 July
Two gunmen riding a motorbike opened fire at auto-rickshaw vehicles, killing two drivers, both brothers, on the spot in Point Pedro, Jaffna. The attack, marking a renewed terror campaign against auto-rickshaw drivers and owners in Jaffna district, took place opposite the main entrance of the SLA 52-4 Brigade quarters in Vadamaradchi. Vaseekaran Navartnam, 25, and Paheerathan Navartnam, 20, were waiting for passengers at the auto-rickshaw parking at the old Point-Pedro Central Bus Stand.
Three men were hacked to death by a gang armed with knives and machetes Ariyalai, Jaffna, around 3 p.m., Sunday. The dead men were identified as Joseph Judeson, 21, and Pakyaraj Arulraj, 23, of Collumbuththurai and Anton Densil, 22, of Koyathoddam. The body of Joseph was found at Arulampalam Road and the other two bodies were found nearby.
Sivalingam Varatharajah, 17, a GCE(O/L) student at Jaffna Central College, has been reported missing after attend private tuition class Sunday morning. His mother registered a complaint with the Human Rights Commission office.
An unidentified youth, estimated to be 20 years old, was shot dead by gunmen in Alaiyadiwempu, Akkaraipattu, Batticaloa. Two hand-grenades were found in his possession.
Paramilitary cadres abducted 3 youths from the villages of Paddiyadychenai in Valaichenai, Batticaloa. Parents of the abducted children, gripped by fear and insecurity, avoided making complaints to the Police. The abducted youths were identified as Nadarasha Surendran 22, Shanmugam Ariyan 21, and Kanthashamy Mohanraj 22. Paramilitary carders who came in a white van would have had to pass the SLA camp to enter the villages of Paddiyadychenai in Valaichenai.
15 July
Unidentified persons riding a motorbike lobbed a grenade at the Jaffna office of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO). Several international organizations, including UNHCR, UNICEF, ICRC and SLMM also have their offices close to the TRO office. The SLA has a mini camp and check a post about 200 metres from the TRO office. The grenade exploded outside the front outer wall of the office building and no damage was caused.
Paramilitary gunmen entered the house of a tsunami survivor settled at Kalkudah, Batticaloa, and shot the man dead on the road. Police recovered the dead body, riddled with 11 bullets from a T-56 automatic rifle, and identified the victim as Arumugam Kalakaran, 23. Paramilitary cadres had questioned and harassed the civilians at Kalmadu and had fired shots in the air on Saturday.
14 July
A LTTE member was killed and five civilians were injured when shells fired by the SLA hit Muttur east. Five houses were destroyed and several others were damaged in the attack. The artillery and mortar attack continued for about two hours from 9.30 a.m. from several SLA camps located in Monkey Bridge, Kaddaiparichchan and other camps surrounding Muttur east. The killed LTTE member was identified as Ruben.
Sooriyakumar Sukirthan, 30, of Potpathy road in Kokuvil, was abducted from his house Friday night and his body was found the next morning at Amman road in Kokuvil, Jaffna. He had been hacked to death. A note near the body, signed by “Peoples Brigade”, stated that Sooriyakumar was punished for his anti-social activities including theft, molesting of women and his participation in several killings.
Three undergraduates travelling by bus from Jaffna town to Pt. Pedro were arrested by SLA soldiers manning a check post near Vallai Bridge. The students were taken to an undisclosed camp, according to passengers who arrived at Pt. Pedro, later that evening. Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission and SLMM in the northern peninsula were informed about the arrests.
Parents of Mariyaseelan Jeevakumar, 17, who was arrested by the SLA at his home on Friday morning are searching for the details of the whereabouts of their son. Although the youth was allegedly handed over to Jaffna Police by the SLA, the parents were not informed of his arrest. Emergency laws mandate the Police to bring the arrested youth before a magistrate within 48 hours of the arrest, or to obtain explicit authorization from the Defense Ministry to keep him in detention. In either case, the parents or relatives have to be informed of the whereabouts of the detainees. Neither has happened in the case of Jeevakumar. In a similar arrest of a youth from Kopay previously, Jaffna Police had sent an arrested youth to Colombo to be interrogated by the Criminal Investigation Division, but admitted doing so only after the intervention of the Jaffna Human Rights Commission officials.
Unidentified men shot dead a youth and injured another at Sinna Urnai Gandhi Village, Batticaloa. The suspects, in a three-wheeler, chased the two youths and shot at them. The injured had fled from the area. The youth killed was alleged to be a supporter of the LTTE and attackers are suspected to be of Karuna paramilitary group.
Another youth Gunasingham Puvanendran, 19, of Palameenmadhu, Batticaloa, was shot and injured near the Palameenmadhu cemetery by unidentified persons. He was shot when he was cycling to see his friend.
An unidentified youth of about 20 years was shot dead by unknown gunmen in Vantharumoolai, Batticaloa. A green coloured hand-grenade was found in his possession.
Savuntharan Chandrakumar, 23, a mason, was hacked to death at Iyankernisaspuram, Batticaloa. He had gone to a local shop at Iyankerni School Road to buy provisions, when five unidentified persons who arrived at the shop, coaxed him out of the shop, and hacked him to death before escaping.
13 July
Two SLA soldiers were killed and another wounded in a claymore attack at Kalmadu, Vavuniya.
Separately clash erupted at Omanthai FDL where one SLA soldier was killed and another trooper was wounded.
Artillery and mortar fire was reported at the Nagarkovil FDL for more than 30 minutes from 7:00 p.m. Thursday.
Gunfire and explosions were reported off the shores of Vadamarachi North between Kankesanthurai (KKS) and Thondamanaru.
Sri Lankan police recovered two bombs near the residence of the government spokesman for Defence and National Security, Keheliya Rambukwella, in Kandy. Ten Tamils were arrested during a subsequent search conducted in the area.
12 July
Four LTTE cadres were killed in an ambush by SLA soldiers who penetrated into LTTE-controlled Kadawanaikulam, in Trincomalee district. The LTTE gave the names of those killed as being Lt. Colonel Eesan (Muthulingam Kalaiarasan of Eachantivu-Alankerni), Captain Theepan (Nagarajah Venthan, of Pattithidal-Muttur), Captain Thanushan (Venthan of Batticaloa) and Veeravengai Karuna (Thangavel Karunakaran of Mullipottanai-Thampalakamam).
A claymore attack on a Sri Lankan police vehicle claimed the lives of two policemen and injured five in Nallur, Jaffna. The attack took place in a highly guarded area surrounded by SLA camps and checkposts. The attackers had selected an isolated pocket in the highly crowded suburb of the Jaffna town to inflict high casualty, reports said.
A SLA soldier was injured in a claymore blast in the Vadamaradchi sector of the Jaffna peninsula. The troops went on a road clearing operation from a camp close to Thamotharampillai Vidyalayam when they were attacked. Troops conducted a search operation in the area, but no arrests were made.
The head of the Jaffna district People Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) group, Sebastian Iruthayarajan (alias Bolder Rajan), 43, was shot dead by unknown gunmen as he was riding a bicycle towards a Girls’ Convent in Martin Street to pickup his school aged children. The gunmen followed Mr Iruthayarajan shot him at close range and escaped. Iruthayarajan is a father of nine children.
The leader of the PLOTE military wing in Vavuniya was abducted Wednesday night when he went out to put up posters. The body of Ratnam Sriskandarajah, alias Bavan, 46, was found Thursday morning at Cheddikulam, Vavuniya. ‘Bavan’ had been operating with PLOTE in Vavuniya for a long period. A group of PLOTE members, claiming to be Tamil nationalists, in a Tamil media release, alleged that SLA Intelligence, in collaboration with the PLOTE hierarchy, assassinated Bavan. He had opposed the paramilitary agenda of the PLOTE hierarchy, the cadres claimed, criticising the top hierarchy of the paramilitary organisation for collaborating with SLA Intelligence in getting rid of Tamil nationalist elements in the organisation.
The remains of two Tamil civilians, Sakthivel Sivasankaran, 28, and Thasan Thevarajah, 24, who disappeared on 22 May after leaving Kattumurivu, Batticaloa, to collect honey in the jungle, were recovered by their relatives. Both had died of gunshot wounds. Residents of Vaharai division usually go to jungles of the Pollonaruwa border to collect honey and meat for their livelihood. Relatives of the men went in search of them to the border area of Welikanda in Pollonaruwa division when they failed to return home more than a month.
One SLA soldier was killed when unidentified gunmen, waiting in ambush, fired at a group of soldiers at Kaddaiadampan, Mannar. The firefight ensued for about half an hour. W. D. P. C. Priyatharshana, who was seriously wounded, succumbed to injuries.
Unidentified men shot and killed Maha Kanapathipillai, a senior member of the paramilitary Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP), in Wellawatte, Colombo. Maha Kanapathipillai was responsible for Public Relations of EPDP leader Douglas Devananda who is the Sri Lankan Minister of Social Services and Social Welfare and an ally of President Mahinda Rajapakse. The incident took place on All Ceylon Buddhist Congress Road in Wellawatte and Maha Kanapathipillai, 55, rushed to Kalubowila hospital with gunshot wounds, succumbed to his wounds.
Thirukovil Police recovered the bullet riddled bodies of two Tamil youths in Porakalappu, Thirukovil, Batticaloa. The bodies were identified as belonging to Kandiah Thivakaran, 21, a mason by profession of Vinayagapuram and Jeyapragasam Jeyaraj, 23, a labourer.
Two Tamil youths, Kumaranayagam Sasikaran, 23, and Manoharan Rajendran, 22, both tractor drivers by profession, had sustained injuries in a shooting incident that took place around Sunday midnight in the vicinity of Thirukovil Sithira Velauthar Temple where the annual festival was being held.
At least four hand grenades were detonated Monday morning before the water cutting festival of the temple commenced in the sea shore located close to the temple.
Unidentified persons shot dead Nagarajah Suntharalingam, 34, at Poonagar in Eachchilampathu.
Serunuwara Police also recovered the body of a home guard, identified as Nissanka Ranjith Bandara, from Sri Mangalapura, a Sinhala settlement located close to Serunuwara police station. Nissanka Bandara had been cut to death on Sunday night.
23 July
A Tamil and a Sinhalese were found shot dead at a graveyard in Thonikkal, Vavuniya. Police suspected that the victims were persons involved in petty theft and burglary in Vavuniya area for a long time. The Sinhala victim is a Homeguard from Madukande and the other is a Tamil from Rasendrakulam in Vavuniya. Their hands were bound and eyes were covered when the police recovered the dead bodies.
SLA soldiers conducted an early morning cordon and search operation in Suthanthirapuram, Vavuniya and arrested four civilians on suspicion of having links with the LTTE, Vanni district parliamentarian Sivanathan Kishor said. The arrested four, Velayuthan Saivaruban, 27, Mylvaganam Ketheeswaran, 23, Chelliah Govindarajan, 55, and Thaavalan, 25, were transferred to the Vavuniya Police after the relatives complained to the parliamentarian who intervened on their behalf.
Emily Janoos, 58, a senior member of the paramilitary EPDP was shot dead by gunmen at Uoorkavatturai, Jaffna as he was riding his bicycle over Kayts Bridge. He was a member of the Uoorkavatturai Pradeshya Sabha.
A 45-year-old man was found shot dead in Karainagar, an islet off Jaffna. Unidentified gunmen shot and killed Somasundaram Thirugnanasmbandar, at his house.
Unidentified gunmen shot and killed Thirunavukarasu, 67, in Mallakam, Jaffna. Civilian sources in Mallakam alleged that the victim was an informer to the SLA in the area.
Two SLN soldiers were injured, one seriously, when gunmen riding a motorbike hurled hand grenades at the soldiers engaged in security duties in Vankalavady in Velanai, Jaffna. Two civilians were injured following indiscriminate firing by the SLN soldiers on pedestrians after the grenade attack. The attack was third within the last two months inside the SLN High Security Zone (HSZ) in Velanai – a SLN petty officer was killed on 6 July, and an EPDP supporter was shot dead in June.
Two youths were shot dead in Kalviyangkadu, Jaffna, by gunmen who followed the youths on a motorbike. Gunmen followed Selvam Sutharsan, 22, from Nallur Temple Road and his friend Anton Kanagaratnam Thushyanthan from Thalayadi Road, Thirunelvely, Jaffna who were also riding a motorbike, and unloaded a hail of bullets at the victims. Both died on the spots. Residents also said that both victims were suspected to be involved in the robberies and killing in the neighbourhood.
22 July
Mr. A. Nagamani, 55, a civilian from Ottumadam, Jaffna, was shot dead in front of his house. The gunmen called Mr. Nagamani to come out of the house and shot him at point blank range.
The President of the Myliddy Fisheries Society was abducted by armed persons in a white van in Pt. Pedro, Jaffna. Justin Cruz, 35, was riding his bicycle along College Road when he was abducted. Local residents, on hearing a man shouting for help, arrived at the spot and saw a white van speeding away. “The men in the van were armed and they threatened to shoot us,” an eyewitness told TamilNet. Cruz is a fisherman and a father of three. He was displaced from SLA’s Myliddy HSZ. His wife has made a complaint with the Human Rights Commission (HRC).
President of the Aathikovilady Fisheries Society and Board member of the Federation of Fisheries Societies, Vadamaradchi North, Mr. Rasathurai Inthirarajah, 38, has been reported “missing” since Friday, 21 July. He went missing while he was riding a bicycle from his home at Valvettithurai to the Fisheries Society office at Pt. Pedro.
A SLA soldier was killed and 3 seriously wounded in a claymore explosion at Meesalai, Jaffna. The soldiers were on a road clearing patrol on the A9, close to Meesalai Railway Station. Traffic through the A9 at Messalai was blocked and SLA troopers launched a cordon and search operation.
Unidentified motorbike-gunmen shot and killed two Tamil youths at Periyaneelavanai, Batticaloa. The victims were identified as Kirushnapillai Arumugam, from Kannankudah, and Sithambarapillai Kajeevan from Kaluthawalai.
The SLA shot dead a Tamil civilian N. Suthakar, 30, of Palamppadru in Thampalakamam division at Kachchakodithivu, Kinniya. Police sources said that the troops opened fire when the youth attempted to snatch a rifle from a soldier. Civil sources in the area said the youth was shot dead for no reason.
Two masked men riding a motorbike shot dead Cassim Bawa Abdul Rahim, 44, in Thoppur, Trincomalee, while he was returning home after morning prayers in a mosque in his village. The police detained a Muslim man with his motorbike in connection with the killing.
21 July
A 68-year old man was shot dead by unidentified gunmen at his house, in Urani, Puttur East, Jaffna. Two motorbike-riding gunmen asked Valli Krishnan to come out of his house and gunned him down.
Motorbike-riding gunmen shot and killed Sinnamani Tharmarajah, 28, as he was travelling in Kopay, Jaffna.
A mother and her two children were injured when a SLA truck travelling at high speed collided with a privately owned passenger van, trapping and injuring the three riding a bicycle in Kopay, Jaffna. The driver of the SLA truck lost control of the vehicle and hit the van travelling in the opposite direction, local witnesses said. Ms Raveendra Sivagankai, 32, Sambavan, 7, and Sambavi, 5, from Kopay North, were seriously injured in the incident.
A young woman, identified as Murukaiah Sukirtha, 25, a mother of one from Naatholai, Ilavalai, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen, riding a motorbike, in front of Nathan cinema in Jaffna town centre. SLA troops cordoned off the area and conducted a search, but no arrests were made.
Two Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs) were fired into the house of Batticaloa MP for the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), Mr. S. Jeyananthamoorthy. The parliamentarian, his wife, two children and their relatives, narrowly escaped the attack that caused damage to the roof of the house located in Batticaloa town. A policeman providing security was wounded in the attack.
20 July
Nadarajah Ravindrakumar, 29, from Ilavalai, the owner of a saloon in Inuvil, Jaffna, was shot and seriously injured by men riding a motorbike while he was opening his shop. He succumbed to his injuries at Jaffna Teaching Hospital.
Krishnapillai Srikrishnan, 22, was shot and killed by armed men, at Irupalai, Jaffna, by men on motorbikes. Civilians alleged that the killers were paramilitaries collaborating with the SLA.
Four civilians were injured when SLA soldiers fired at random following a grenade blast in Nallur, Jaffna. The injured were identified as K. Vasanth, 18, N. Gnanasekaram, 34, S. Yasithan, 25, and S. Sivanesalingam, 58. The troops opened fire after unidentified armed men hurled a grenade at the troops.
Motorbike riding gunmen shot and killed a shop owner in Kokkuvil, Jaffna, inside a SLA HSZ. Local residents blamed paramilitaries collaborating with the SLA for the killing. Sinnathurai Mangaleswaran, 47, who was seriously injured in the incident, succumbed to his injuries at the Jaffna Teaching Hospital.
Unknown gunmen shot dead Selvar Yogan, 60, a supporter of the paramilitary EPDP, in Atchuvely, Jaffna. The gunmen requested Mr Yogan to come out the house and shot him at point blank range before escaping from the area. Mr Yogan was an EPDP candidate in the 1998 local council elections and was an elected member of a Pradeshya Sabha.
A man, believed to be a local resident, was killed when SLA soldiers opened fire indiscriminately after two unknown assailants hurled a hand grenade into the SLA sentry located near St. Patricks College, Jaffna. The alleged assailants escaped after throwing the grenade.
Seven civilians, including a foreign woman married to a Sri Lankan, were injured when a bus carrying sailors in a SLN convoy crashed into their multi-passenger vehicle. The convoy was travelling from Colombo to the Trincomalee naval headquarters located inside the Dockyard. The damaged vehicle, belonging to a Christian society, was parked on the roadside on the orders of the personnel providing security to the convoy until the convoy passed through the road. However one of the buses in the convoy, which was being driven at high speed, suddenly swerved onto the side of the road and crashed into the parked vehicle.
Paramilitary cadres abducted 2 youths, Loganathan Kajan, 20, and Muththurasa Prabakaran, 27, from the villages in Valaichenai, Batticaloa. Parents of the abducted, gripped by fear and insecurity, did not complain to the police.
Three Tamil Eelam auxiliaries who were patrolling in LTTE-controlled Semamadu, Vavuniya district, were wounded in a claymore blast carried out by a SLA DPU. One of the three wounded was reported to be in a serious state. They had been on a regular road clearing patrol.
Three officials of the World Bank funded North-East Irrigated Agriculture Project (NEIAP) and the driver of their pickup, belonging to Mannar District Secretariat, were wounded in a claymore attack by a SLA DPU in Kokupadaiyan, Mannar. The vehicle was heavily damaged in the attack, but the officials narrowly escaped with minor wounds. A civilian motorcycle rider narrowly escaped another claymore explosion 200 meters from the spot.
The Manager of Manthai South Multi-Purpose Co-operative Society (MPCS) branch in Uyilankulam, Mannar, was gunned down by SLA troopers at Manatkulam Junction, while he was returning home. Police said that the MPCS manager was hit when SLA troopers opened fire after a grenade attack on the checkpost. Sindathurai Christy Anton, 40, a family man, was returning home to Puthukkamam from the MPCS shop in Uyilankulam.
19 July
A SLA Captain, a Lieutenant and a Lance Corporal were killed and 11 other troopers wounded when a bus carrying the troopers was ambushed with a claymore near Maruthanarmadam Junction, Jaffna. Five of the eleven SLA troopers wounded in the ambush, were in serious condition. The soldiers opened fire indiscriminately for fifteen minutes and beat up the civilians in the area after the attack, resulting in three civilians being rushed to Jaffna hospital. The wounded troopers, 1 officer, 8 SLA troopers and 2 policemen, were rushed to Palaly military hospital and three were airlifted to Colombo. Three civilians, V. Kajanthan, 21, K. Thurairajah, 62, both from Uduvil, Chunnakam, and D. Sabaratnayakam, 68, from Veemankamam, Tellippalai, were wounded when SLA troopers opened fire for 15 minutes after the attack. The bus was carrying 15 troopers, from Uduvil SLA camp, who were to leave Jaffna on vacation to their homes in South, SLA sources said.
Gunmen, riding a motorbike without licence plates and allegedly associated with the SLA, shot three youths who emerged from a playground in front of Kopay Teachers Training College and escaped. Gunasekaram Matheeswaran, 21, from Kondavil and Navaratnam Dinesh, 23, from Irupalai, were rushed to hospital. Rasaratnam Parthipan, 30, had escaped from the site and was later admitted to Jaffna hospital. Residents allege the attackers were SLA operated paramilitary cadres.
Satkunam Suthaharan, 26, and Murugesu Sivakumar, 23, were found shot dead in Paalameenmadu, Batticaloa. They had been abducted, allegedly by paramilitary Karuna Group cadres, on 16 July. A note claiming that the two men were “traitors” who were being “punished” by the “sons of soil” was found beside the dead bodies. At an inquest into the deaths, the magistrate ruled that both deaths were murders.
Unidentified men shot dead a Tamil civilian, Mr. Gunarasa Thevan, 34, at Puthukudiruppu in Allesgarden, Trincomalee. Initial reports said two persons on a motorbike had called the deceased outside his house and had talked to him. Thereafter they shot him in the head and fled from the scene.
LTTE cadres thwarted an attempt by a Deep Penetration Unit (DPU) of the SLA to enter into the LTTE held area through its FDL in Eachchilampathu division, Trincomalee district. The soldiers fled from the area leaving a live claymore mine and other weapons at the site. They also took back injured soldiers and the number of casualties was unknown. One LTTE cadre Lieutenant Kuilan (Thevananthan Vino of Anpuvallipuram), was killed in the encounter.
18 July
A saloon owner standing outside his business was killed in blast shock and 4 SLA soldiers were injured when their tractor was hit by a road side claymore at Kodikamam, Jaffna. Two SLA soldiers and a 70-years old civilian inside the saloon were seriously wounded. A saloon worker was also wounded. The blast occurred on the road to Pt. Pedro, about 400 metres from the Kodikamam junction. The saloon owner who died on the spot was identified as Sinnathamby Nagarasa, 55, from Kudamiyan, Varani.
Batticaloa Police recovered the bodies of two youths with gun shot wounds from shrub jungles in Swiss village in Sathurukondan, Batticaloa. Murugupillai Mahadevan, 26, and Chinniah Somasunderam, 31, were abducted from their relatives house Monday night by unknown gunmen. The gunmen allegedly shot dead the men using a T-56 type rifle, dumped their bodies and escaped.
Eight civilians, all Tamil women, were injured in an explosion that took place in Anpuvallipuram, Trincomalee. The women were engaged in a shramadana (voluntary work) campaign, cleaning the side walks along the road, when the explosion occurred. Police claimed a bomb hidden in the refuse had accidentally detonated during the cleanup activity.
17 July
A SLA soldier riding a bicycle was killed and two SLA troopers seriously injured, when a claymore attached to a parked bicycle exploded in Jaffna town. The soldiers were on their way to supply meals to SLA checkposts when they came under attack. Four civilians were also injured, one seriously, by the explosion and when the soldiers fired indiscriminately after the attack. The injured civilians were identified as Joseph Sasiraj, 23, S. Sangilithevar, 53, Sivam Indrakumar, 50, and Kumaran, 27, all from Jaffna.
Five SLN troopers were seriously injured when a route clearing patrol of the SLN hit a claymore placed along the road in Sampaltivu village, Trincomalee. One of the five later succumbed to injuries after being admitted in the Colombo general hospital. Security forces immediately launched a cordon and search operation in the village following the claymore explosion. Several civilians were detained and questioned during the search operation.
A civilian was injured when shells fired by SLA soldiers from Punani camp hit Vakaneri, Batticaloa. More than 50 shells hit the village, Mr. P. Daya Mohan, Batticaloa district LTTE political head, told TamilNet. The shelling continued for 30 minutes from 10 a.m., he said. The wounded civilian was identified as Kanapathipillai Krishnapillai.
At least 12 residential homes were set ablaze in Iyankerni Saspuram, Batticaloa, before nightfall on Monday, during factional fighting amongst the villagers. The hacking to death of a local mason, Savuntharan Chandrakumar, 23, outside the village grocery shop by unidentified persons Friday night, is suspected to be the likely cause of the violence. Although several homes have been destroyed only one resident registered complaint to the police.
16 July
Two gunmen riding a motorbike opened fire at auto-rickshaw vehicles, killing two drivers, both brothers, on the spot in Point Pedro, Jaffna. The attack, marking a renewed terror campaign against auto-rickshaw drivers and owners in Jaffna district, took place opposite the main entrance of the SLA 52-4 Brigade quarters in Vadamaradchi. Vaseekaran Navartnam, 25, and Paheerathan Navartnam, 20, were waiting for passengers at the auto-rickshaw parking at the old Point-Pedro Central Bus Stand.
Three men were hacked to death by a gang armed with knives and machetes Ariyalai, Jaffna, around 3 p.m., Sunday. The dead men were identified as Joseph Judeson, 21, and Pakyaraj Arulraj, 23, of Collumbuththurai and Anton Densil, 22, of Koyathoddam. The body of Joseph was found at Arulampalam Road and the other two bodies were found nearby.
Sivalingam Varatharajah, 17, a GCE(O/L) student at Jaffna Central College, has been reported missing after attend private tuition class Sunday morning. His mother registered a complaint with the Human Rights Commission office.
An unidentified youth, estimated to be 20 years old, was shot dead by gunmen in Alaiyadiwempu, Akkaraipattu, Batticaloa. Two hand-grenades were found in his possession.
Paramilitary cadres abducted 3 youths from the villages of Paddiyadychenai in Valaichenai, Batticaloa. Parents of the abducted children, gripped by fear and insecurity, avoided making complaints to the Police. The abducted youths were identified as Nadarasha Surendran 22, Shanmugam Ariyan 21, and Kanthashamy Mohanraj 22. Paramilitary carders who came in a white van would have had to pass the SLA camp to enter the villages of Paddiyadychenai in Valaichenai.
15 July
Unidentified persons riding a motorbike lobbed a grenade at the Jaffna office of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO). Several international organizations, including UNHCR, UNICEF, ICRC and SLMM also have their offices close to the TRO office. The SLA has a mini camp and check a post about 200 metres from the TRO office. The grenade exploded outside the front outer wall of the office building and no damage was caused.
Paramilitary gunmen entered the house of a tsunami survivor settled at Kalkudah, Batticaloa, and shot the man dead on the road. Police recovered the dead body, riddled with 11 bullets from a T-56 automatic rifle, and identified the victim as Arumugam Kalakaran, 23. Paramilitary cadres had questioned and harassed the civilians at Kalmadu and had fired shots in the air on Saturday.
14 July
A LTTE member was killed and five civilians were injured when shells fired by the SLA hit Muttur east. Five houses were destroyed and several others were damaged in the attack. The artillery and mortar attack continued for about two hours from 9.30 a.m. from several SLA camps located in Monkey Bridge, Kaddaiparichchan and other camps surrounding Muttur east. The killed LTTE member was identified as Ruben.
Sooriyakumar Sukirthan, 30, of Potpathy road in Kokuvil, was abducted from his house Friday night and his body was found the next morning at Amman road in Kokuvil, Jaffna. He had been hacked to death. A note near the body, signed by “Peoples Brigade”, stated that Sooriyakumar was punished for his anti-social activities including theft, molesting of women and his participation in several killings.
Three undergraduates travelling by bus from Jaffna town to Pt. Pedro were arrested by SLA soldiers manning a check post near Vallai Bridge. The students were taken to an undisclosed camp, according to passengers who arrived at Pt. Pedro, later that evening. Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission and SLMM in the northern peninsula were informed about the arrests.
Parents of Mariyaseelan Jeevakumar, 17, who was arrested by the SLA at his home on Friday morning are searching for the details of the whereabouts of their son. Although the youth was allegedly handed over to Jaffna Police by the SLA, the parents were not informed of his arrest. Emergency laws mandate the Police to bring the arrested youth before a magistrate within 48 hours of the arrest, or to obtain explicit authorization from the Defense Ministry to keep him in detention. In either case, the parents or relatives have to be informed of the whereabouts of the detainees. Neither has happened in the case of Jeevakumar. In a similar arrest of a youth from Kopay previously, Jaffna Police had sent an arrested youth to Colombo to be interrogated by the Criminal Investigation Division, but admitted doing so only after the intervention of the Jaffna Human Rights Commission officials.
Unidentified men shot dead a youth and injured another at Sinna Urnai Gandhi Village, Batticaloa. The suspects, in a three-wheeler, chased the two youths and shot at them. The injured had fled from the area. The youth killed was alleged to be a supporter of the LTTE and attackers are suspected to be of Karuna paramilitary group.
Another youth Gunasingham Puvanendran, 19, of Palameenmadhu, Batticaloa, was shot and injured near the Palameenmadhu cemetery by unidentified persons. He was shot when he was cycling to see his friend.
An unidentified youth of about 20 years was shot dead by unknown gunmen in Vantharumoolai, Batticaloa. A green coloured hand-grenade was found in his possession.
Savuntharan Chandrakumar, 23, a mason, was hacked to death at Iyankernisaspuram, Batticaloa. He had gone to a local shop at Iyankerni School Road to buy provisions, when five unidentified persons who arrived at the shop, coaxed him out of the shop, and hacked him to death before escaping.
13 July
Two SLA soldiers were killed and another wounded in a claymore attack at Kalmadu, Vavuniya.
Separately clash erupted at Omanthai FDL where one SLA soldier was killed and another trooper was wounded.
Artillery and mortar fire was reported at the Nagarkovil FDL for more than 30 minutes from 7:00 p.m. Thursday.
Gunfire and explosions were reported off the shores of Vadamarachi North between Kankesanthurai (KKS) and Thondamanaru.
Sri Lankan police recovered two bombs near the residence of the government spokesman for Defence and National Security, Keheliya Rambukwella, in Kandy. Ten Tamils were arrested during a subsequent search conducted in the area.
12 July
Four LTTE cadres were killed in an ambush by SLA soldiers who penetrated into LTTE-controlled Kadawanaikulam, in Trincomalee district. The LTTE gave the names of those killed as being Lt. Colonel Eesan (Muthulingam Kalaiarasan of Eachantivu-Alankerni), Captain Theepan (Nagarajah Venthan, of Pattithidal-Muttur), Captain Thanushan (Venthan of Batticaloa) and Veeravengai Karuna (Thangavel Karunakaran of Mullipottanai-Thampalakamam).
A claymore attack on a Sri Lankan police vehicle claimed the lives of two policemen and injured five in Nallur, Jaffna. The attack took place in a highly guarded area surrounded by SLA camps and checkposts. The attackers had selected an isolated pocket in the highly crowded suburb of the Jaffna town to inflict high casualty, reports said.
A SLA soldier was injured in a claymore blast in the Vadamaradchi sector of the Jaffna peninsula. The troops went on a road clearing operation from a camp close to Thamotharampillai Vidyalayam when they were attacked. Troops conducted a search operation in the area, but no arrests were made.
The head of the Jaffna district People Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) group, Sebastian Iruthayarajan (alias Bolder Rajan), 43, was shot dead by unknown gunmen as he was riding a bicycle towards a Girls’ Convent in Martin Street to pickup his school aged children. The gunmen followed Mr Iruthayarajan shot him at close range and escaped. Iruthayarajan is a father of nine children.
The leader of the PLOTE military wing in Vavuniya was abducted Wednesday night when he went out to put up posters. The body of Ratnam Sriskandarajah, alias Bavan, 46, was found Thursday morning at Cheddikulam, Vavuniya. ‘Bavan’ had been operating with PLOTE in Vavuniya for a long period. A group of PLOTE members, claiming to be Tamil nationalists, in a Tamil media release, alleged that SLA Intelligence, in collaboration with the PLOTE hierarchy, assassinated Bavan. He had opposed the paramilitary agenda of the PLOTE hierarchy, the cadres claimed, criticising the top hierarchy of the paramilitary organisation for collaborating with SLA Intelligence in getting rid of Tamil nationalist elements in the organisation.
The remains of two Tamil civilians, Sakthivel Sivasankaran, 28, and Thasan Thevarajah, 24, who disappeared on 22 May after leaving Kattumurivu, Batticaloa, to collect honey in the jungle, were recovered by their relatives. Both had died of gunshot wounds. Residents of Vaharai division usually go to jungles of the Pollonaruwa border to collect honey and meat for their livelihood. Relatives of the men went in search of them to the border area of Welikanda in Pollonaruwa division when they failed to return home more than a month.
