Tensions continued in Sri Lanka’s Northeast amid continuing violence and aggressive patrolling by government troops in several locations, including the northern Jaffna peninsula.
In Jaffna Sri Lankan Troops angered by recent attacks on their comrades carried out house to house searches – including many homes occupied by people who had previously been forced to flee during two decades of war.
"Most of the Tamils support the LTTE," 25-year-old soldier Sarath told Reuters after checking homes in the military-held peninsula.
"Today we checked the area for weapons like hand bombs and grenades. Some people give us information. By these attacks, it is their own people who suffer."
Soldiers cordoned off and searched several villages in Jaffna district on Wednesday including Kachchai area in Thenmaradchy, Ariyalai in Jaffna, Myilankadu in Valikamam North, Erlalai North and Mandan in Vadamaradchy area.
At least seven youths were reportedly arrested in two days of cordon-and-search operations in the region, where a clutch of attacks by unidentified gunmen ten days ago left at least fifteen soldiers dead.
Troops cordoned the area surrounding the road leading to Potpathi Road Jaffna from Kondavil on Palaly Road and are conducting house to house searches early morning Tuesday. The Kodikamam area in Thenmaradchy and Kerudavil area in Meesalai were also cordoned and searched.
This week an organization calling itself the "Roaring Peoples Force" claimed responsibility for the recent attacks against SLA troops in the Jaffna district.
The organization, widely suspected to be a front for the LTTE, warned that the attacks will intensify if SLA continues to roundup and harass civilians.
Posters condemning the paramilitary Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) leader Douglas Devananda and demanding the SLA leave Jaffna were pasted overnight on street walls in several parts of Jaffna, TamilNet reported Wednesday.
An Mi-17 transport helicopter of the Sri Lanka Airforce (SLAF) came under fire and made an emergency landing in Kumana, Ampara district, reports said. It is the first time a Sri Lankan aircraft has been fired on since the February 2002 ceasefire.
"The helicopter came under fire - it had two bullet holes and minor damage," SLAF spokesman Group Captain Ajantha Silva told Reuters, blaming the Tigers. "Definitely it was a terrorist action."
Suspected Tamil Tigers fired mortar bombs at a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camp in eastern Sri Lanka, military officials said Tuesday.
The bombs missed the camp in Meeravodai, around 20 miles (30 km) outside the eastern town of Batticaloa and caused no casualties.
Miravodai is located 4 km north of Kiran where two Tamils were shot and killed by unidentified gunmen Monday night.
"81 mm mortars were fired from the uncleared areas" at the army camp, a military official in Batticaloa told Reuters, referring to Tiger held areas.
A civilian was wounded when two men riding a motorbike lobbed a grenade at an SLA road patrol at Pethalai in Valaichenai around 12:45 p.m. Monday.
On the other side of the island, unidentified attackers threw hand grenades at a meeting of police in north-western Sri Lanka, wounding at least 18 officers, the Defense Ministry said
The grenade was thrown as around 30 policemen attended a routine briefing by superiors at Pesalai police station late Monday in Mannar district.
Sri Lankan forces took two Tamil youths into custody in a three-hour cordon and search operation conducted in the bazaar area of the Mannar town Wednesday morning, TamilNet reported.
A senior cadre of PLOTE, a paramilitary group operating with the SLA in Vavuniya, was abducted by unidentified gunmen riding in a van whilst riding his motorbike. The SLA blamed the LTTE.
The abduction was raised by international ceasefire monitors with the LTTE, but the Tigers denied the Army’s accusation, pointing out that the vehicle, which belonged to a local resident, had been moving around in SLA-controlled territory.
A claymore mine exploded Monday just missing a police patrol in Vavuniya.
"The policemen were returning after a routine route-clearing patrol when they were ambushed," a military spokesman told AFP. "They had a narrow shave. There were no casualties."
There was a similar explosion aimed at a bus transporting 60 constables in the east of the island late Sunday, the military said, adding the blast also narrowly missed the police.
A claymore mine went off Monday morning hitting an unmanned SLA post on Vavuniya - Mannar road at Varikuddiyoor, 12 km northwest of Vavuniya town, police said.
On Sunday, unidentified gunmen shot and killed an armed policeman, Mahes Ranasinghe, inside the Vavuniya Hospital premises and abucted Ms Gunaratnam Puveneswari who was undergoing treatment at the hospital under police custody.
After firing at Mr Ranasinghe, unidentified men entered the ward through backdoor, ordered the remaining policemen to leave the site, took command of the patient, lifted her over the walls of the hospital and fled the site in a van, police said.
Puvaneswari, who took cyanide when Sri Lanka Navy arrested her with four others on board a boat in Mannar sea last Tuesday, was taken away by the men who entered the ward. The LTTE has denied involvement and blamed Army-backed paramilitaries.
Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) soldiers and Police cordoned and searched large areas of Mandaitivu, an islet located south west of Jaffna town, from 9 a.m. and 12 noon Sunday. Residents were barred from leaving the islet when the search was in progress.
In Jaffna Sri Lankan Troops angered by recent attacks on their comrades carried out house to house searches – including many homes occupied by people who had previously been forced to flee during two decades of war.
"Most of the Tamils support the LTTE," 25-year-old soldier Sarath told Reuters after checking homes in the military-held peninsula.
"Today we checked the area for weapons like hand bombs and grenades. Some people give us information. By these attacks, it is their own people who suffer."
Soldiers cordoned off and searched several villages in Jaffna district on Wednesday including Kachchai area in Thenmaradchy, Ariyalai in Jaffna, Myilankadu in Valikamam North, Erlalai North and Mandan in Vadamaradchy area.
At least seven youths were reportedly arrested in two days of cordon-and-search operations in the region, where a clutch of attacks by unidentified gunmen ten days ago left at least fifteen soldiers dead.
Troops cordoned the area surrounding the road leading to Potpathi Road Jaffna from Kondavil on Palaly Road and are conducting house to house searches early morning Tuesday. The Kodikamam area in Thenmaradchy and Kerudavil area in Meesalai were also cordoned and searched.
This week an organization calling itself the "Roaring Peoples Force" claimed responsibility for the recent attacks against SLA troops in the Jaffna district.
The organization, widely suspected to be a front for the LTTE, warned that the attacks will intensify if SLA continues to roundup and harass civilians.
Posters condemning the paramilitary Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) leader Douglas Devananda and demanding the SLA leave Jaffna were pasted overnight on street walls in several parts of Jaffna, TamilNet reported Wednesday.
An Mi-17 transport helicopter of the Sri Lanka Airforce (SLAF) came under fire and made an emergency landing in Kumana, Ampara district, reports said. It is the first time a Sri Lankan aircraft has been fired on since the February 2002 ceasefire.
"The helicopter came under fire - it had two bullet holes and minor damage," SLAF spokesman Group Captain Ajantha Silva told Reuters, blaming the Tigers. "Definitely it was a terrorist action."
Suspected Tamil Tigers fired mortar bombs at a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camp in eastern Sri Lanka, military officials said Tuesday.
The bombs missed the camp in Meeravodai, around 20 miles (30 km) outside the eastern town of Batticaloa and caused no casualties.
Miravodai is located 4 km north of Kiran where two Tamils were shot and killed by unidentified gunmen Monday night.
"81 mm mortars were fired from the uncleared areas" at the army camp, a military official in Batticaloa told Reuters, referring to Tiger held areas.
A civilian was wounded when two men riding a motorbike lobbed a grenade at an SLA road patrol at Pethalai in Valaichenai around 12:45 p.m. Monday.
On the other side of the island, unidentified attackers threw hand grenades at a meeting of police in north-western Sri Lanka, wounding at least 18 officers, the Defense Ministry said
The grenade was thrown as around 30 policemen attended a routine briefing by superiors at Pesalai police station late Monday in Mannar district.
Sri Lankan forces took two Tamil youths into custody in a three-hour cordon and search operation conducted in the bazaar area of the Mannar town Wednesday morning, TamilNet reported.
A senior cadre of PLOTE, a paramilitary group operating with the SLA in Vavuniya, was abducted by unidentified gunmen riding in a van whilst riding his motorbike. The SLA blamed the LTTE.
The abduction was raised by international ceasefire monitors with the LTTE, but the Tigers denied the Army’s accusation, pointing out that the vehicle, which belonged to a local resident, had been moving around in SLA-controlled territory.
A claymore mine exploded Monday just missing a police patrol in Vavuniya.
"The policemen were returning after a routine route-clearing patrol when they were ambushed," a military spokesman told AFP. "They had a narrow shave. There were no casualties."
There was a similar explosion aimed at a bus transporting 60 constables in the east of the island late Sunday, the military said, adding the blast also narrowly missed the police.
A claymore mine went off Monday morning hitting an unmanned SLA post on Vavuniya - Mannar road at Varikuddiyoor, 12 km northwest of Vavuniya town, police said.
On Sunday, unidentified gunmen shot and killed an armed policeman, Mahes Ranasinghe, inside the Vavuniya Hospital premises and abucted Ms Gunaratnam Puveneswari who was undergoing treatment at the hospital under police custody.
After firing at Mr Ranasinghe, unidentified men entered the ward through backdoor, ordered the remaining policemen to leave the site, took command of the patient, lifted her over the walls of the hospital and fled the site in a van, police said.
Puvaneswari, who took cyanide when Sri Lanka Navy arrested her with four others on board a boat in Mannar sea last Tuesday, was taken away by the men who entered the ward. The LTTE has denied involvement and blamed Army-backed paramilitaries.
Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) soldiers and Police cordoned and searched large areas of Mandaitivu, an islet located south west of Jaffna town, from 9 a.m. and 12 noon Sunday. Residents were barred from leaving the islet when the search was in progress.
