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| The bodies of Tamils shot dead in execution-style are often found along roadsides, like these four men whose bodies were discovered in Vavuniya. Photo STR / AFP / Getty Images |
14 July
● 16 SLA soldiers were killed and 45 wounded when LTTE forces put up stiff resistance against a two-pronged offensive by the SLA in the Mannar-Vavuniya border area. Four dead bodies of SLA soldiers were recovered by the Tigers. Three LTTE fighters were killed in action. A Buffel Armoured Personnel Carrier was destroyed and the Tigers recovered a Rocket Propelled Grenade Launcher, three T-56 rifles, ammunitions and military hardware. Fifteen of the wounded SLA soldiers had limbs amputated. “The soldiers were locked into heavy fighting along a Forward Defence Line, which they believed was a crack in enemy lines,” a SLA official in Vavuniya, who did not wished to be named was quoted as saying. “The soldiers were forced to confront an apparent trap,” he said. The LTTE is yet to release details of the SLA offensive.
● Lathayini Arunachalam, 25, an employee at a private bookstore, was riding her bicycle from her home in Nunavil towards her workplace in Chavakachcheri, Jaffna, when gunmen riding on a motorbike shot her dead.
● Chavakachcheari police recovered the body of Velayuthapillai Pirapaharan, 30, with hands tied behind his back and with seven gunshot wounds to his body, in Vembirai, Thenmaradchi, along Puththoor-Meesaalai road, in Jaffna. Originally from Madduvil North, he was married and living in Manthuvil. His relatives said that he was abducted after he left home for his daily prayers at a nearby temple on Friday.
● Several SLA soldiers are feared killed and many injured during sustained exchanges of artillery fire across Thenmaradchi FDLs in Jaffna. The Sri Lankan military has not officially released casualty figures but reports said many bodies have been transferred from Palaali to Colombo during three days of bombardment, and several troops have been admitted to Palali Military Hospital.
13 July
● Subramaniam Jeyanthiran, 19, was shot dead by gunmen inside the Jaffna HSZ. He had earlier received death threats from the SLA and was held in protective custody of Jaffna prison through the Jaffna SLHRC, but was recently released from custody on his own request. His national identity card was confiscated by the SLA soldiers during a cordon and search operation in Kurunakarand he had been directed by the soldiers to report to the Chinnakadai Jaffna camp at one end of Martin Road. Whilst on his way to the SLA camp the SLA soldiers at the sentry point had ordered him to proceed through Martin Road where he was shot.
12 July
● Hundreds of SLA soldiers and policemen entered the premises of the TELO district office in Vavuniya and shot and killed a TELO member, Thiyaaku, alleging he was attempting a lob a grenade at them. Initial reports said a grenade was seen on the chest of the dead body. Military officials in Vavuniya claimed that they had located a T-56 rifle, four Police uniforms, a pistol, 3 walkie-talkies, an anti-personnel mine and 300 bullets. Three TELO officials were taken to the police station following the ransack operation. TELO offices are normally provided police security.
● A SLAF Kfir bomber was damaged in LTTE anti-aircraft cannon fire over the Vavuniya FDL. The LTTE's Military Spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan said that the bomber was damaged in the cannon fire by the Tigers and parts of the damaged aircraft fell inside the Tiger territory. The SLAF aircraft crash landed into SLA territory. However, SLAF officials in Colombo said all their aircrafts were safe.
● A claymore device was triggered targeting a high officer of SLA 52nd Division traveling in a pick-up through Thumpalai area in Point Pedro, Vadamaradchi, Jaffna. The seriously injured officer was rushed to Palali Military hospital. Maniam Kanapathipillai, 51, a teacher of Point Pedro Sivapragasam Maka Viththiyaalayam, returning after prayers at the temple, happened to be passing the site of attack on bicycle and died due to shock. The attackers, waiting in ambush for the officer, had activated the claymore device which was hidden along the road.
● Police constable W. M. Wijeyasinge, 24, attached to Karaithevu STF in Amparai, died when his gun accidentally went off while he was cleaning it. The constable succumbed to the gunshot at Kalmunai hospital.
11 July
● Several hundred SLA soldiers cordoned off and searched Pasaiyor, Kurunakar, Thirunakar, Koyathodam and surrounding areas. SLA soldiers confiscated residents’ National ID cards and ordered them to assemble at the Pasaiyoor playground, where the villagers were paraded in front of masked men. Most of the women and children were allowed to return home, while more than 100 men were still being interrogated several hours later. Details of anyone arrested at the end of the operation were not known.
● SLA soldiers cordoned off and searched areas in Inuvil and Maruthanamadam in Jaffna, harassing undergraduates from Jaffna University on their way to lectures at the Fine Arts Faculty. Students were subjected to intense questioning and body search. House to house searches were conducted by the SLA soldiers throughout the morning and vehicular traffic was affected. Office workers and students attending schools also suffered delays.
● Viyagarasa Vaseekaran, 30, a young family man, was shot dead at his house in Kopay by armed men alleged to be members of the SLA intelligence wing and SLA-backed paramilitaries. The intruders forced open the front entrance to the house and shot the man. Vaseekaran’s body also bore marks due to severe beating, and burn marks from cigarette butts. Local residents who approached the house on hearing screams were allegedly beaten back by men identified as belonging to a paramilitary group.
● Two civilians were killed and eleven injured when a SLAF Kfir fighter jet bombed fishermen on shore near the Church of Velangkani in Alampil, Mullaitheevu.
● Nearly 100 families recently resettled in Kokkaddichcholai, Batticaloa, started relocating to safer areas due to recent killings and disappearances, Batticaloa TNA MP Mr. Ariyanarenthiran said. As a result of a number of killings, civilians recently resettled in Kokkaddichcholai have started leaving the area to safer places, the MP said. Adequate protection has not been provided for these resettled families, he said, adding: “Since the Sri Lanka Army conducts search operations during mid night and early morning, these families continue to live in fear.”
● Muhammad Mahroof, 40, and Hachchi Muhammad Gaffoor, 38, both residents of Kaththankudi, Batticaloa, were injured when unknown persons hurled a hand grenade while they were standing near the Kaththankudi Police station. The police and SLA cordoned off the area and conducted a search following the incident, but no-one was arrested.
● Thiyagarajah Vasikumar’s body was discovered with gunshot wounds in Kalviyangkadu, Jaffna. The body bore several injuries which medical officers at the Jaffna Teaching hospital confirmed as inflicted due to torture. Vasikumar was forcibly dragged out of his home by armed men and his body, with his hand tied behind his back, was recovered with several cut injuries.
● Three Jaffna high schools students, forcibly abducted on 4 May from their homes by armed men, were released near their homes .They were held captive for 69 days before being brought to their homes in a white van. They were released on the condition that they will not divulge any information to the media and have been threatened with death if they failed to adhere to the condition. The students confirmed they were abducted by SLA troops but refused to provide any information about where they were kept captive. Suntharalingam Yasotharan, 17, from Thirunelveali and Nagarajah Venukanthan, 19, from Brown Road Jaffna were attending Jaffna Hindu College in Mathemetics and Arts Division respectively. Kugarajan Kannan, 19, of Kasthuriyaar Road, Jafna was attending GCE (A/L) Mathemetics section at St. John's College. No details of several other missing students missing since January are known.
10 July
● Five people, including Tamileelam Health Service personnel and civilians, were killed in a claymore mine attack by a SLA DPU inside Vanni, at Kilavankulam, near Mangkulam. Kandasamy Vadivanathan, 41, a worker from the Road Development Authority on road construction work along the A9, was wounded in the attack.
● A SLA road patrol unit and a group of men exchanged fire near Arasadi in Karavedi, Vadamaradchi, Jaffna, which has been the site of several earlier skirmishes. The firefight lasted for more than 10 minutes, but details of injuries or casualties are not known. The attackers escaped after the firefight.
● Sri Lankan Police, in a cordon and search operation in Kathirkamam in Uva, arrested 18 civilians, including 14 Tamils staying in Kathirkamam, for not having valid documents to establish their identity. Kathirkamam has been a place of pilgrimage and religious sanctity since prehistoric times, being the location of a Hindu temple.
● Manikkampodi Sivalingam, 40, a father of five recently resettled in Manmunai South West (Paddippalai), Batticaloa, has gone missing after going to fish in Pulukunavai Tank. Three persons including a woman were killed and two others have gone missing from recently resettled Paduvaankarai region in Batticaloa district.
9 July
● A SLA deserter lead a Sinhala mob that shot dead a Muslim boy and seriously injured two other Muslim youths in the Western Province village of Ambalanduwa. Mohammed Faizal, 18, was killed when the Muslims where attacked as they opposed a group of extremists attempting to place a Buddha statue near a Mosque in their village, in the Panadura division of Kalutara.
● Sri Lankan Police carried out a search operation in Polgolla, Kandy, arresting four Tamil youths for not having valid documents to prove their identity and for failing to provide valid reasons for their stay in Kandy. Two are from Galaha and the other two are from Nawala, Matale and from Kundasale, Kandy.
● A search operation in Mirihana, Nugegoda, Colombo, resulted in five civilians, including one Tamil, being arrested for failing to prove their identity.
