Violence round up – week ending 29 April

 

● Two oil storages that supply fuel to SLAF bombers were attacked by the Tamileelam Air Force. Oil and fuel storages in Kolonnawa and Muththuraajawala were attacked after SLAF bombers attacked a suburb of Kilinochchi town in LTTE administered territory.

 

● Six youths and a priest were killed in a firefight with the SLN during a cordon and search operation in Velani in the islets of Jaffna. The incident occurred close to the Mudippillaiyar Temple in Velanai west. Ratnasabapathy Aiyar Somaskantha Kurukkal, 60, from Usan Kanthasaami Koaviladi was the priest killed and his body bore injuries at several places. The cordon and search operation followed an attack by armed youth in which a SLN commander was killed. Sri Lanka armed forces barred public from entering or leaving Jaffna Islets. The commander is alleged to have engaged in a spate of killings along with the members of the paramilitary EPDP in the islets of Jaffna. Sri Lanka Military spokesperson said the attackers used the temples sculptured towers as cover to mount the attack when they were killed. Although the SLN did not reveal details of casualties and injuries suffered by its troopers, sources said helicopters were used in transporting the SLN dead and the wounded to the Palaali military hospital.

 

● Selvarajah Rajivarman, 25, a young journalist working at Jaffna's Uthayan newspaper, was shot and killed by gunmen riding a motorbike in Rasavin Thoadam junction, Jaffna.

 

● Gunmen shot and killed a trader, Nagalingam Tharumakulasingam, 48, a father of four, in a commercial establishment at Manthuvil in Thenmaraadchchi, Jaffna.

 

● SLA troopers shot dead a youth at Senthaankulam SLA FDL, within Palaali HSZ. The victim was identified as Sinnathurai Sujijeyanthiran, 19, a mentally ill youth, from Maathahal, who had lost his way when he went out of his house and had accidentally entered the SLA FDL area.

 

● SLA troopers lying in ambush along a lake at Sithandi in Earavur, Batticaloa shot dead three IDPs, including a woman, who had gone to check their cultivation. Ponnusamy Sellathurai, 46, from Kudaaveddai, Eeralakulam, Nagalingam Thiruchelvam, 42, and Ms. Poopalapillai Poomani, 30, both from Perumaaveli, Sithandi, were the three shot dead.

 

 

● The SLA ordered families in Potkerni and other suburbs in Thampalakamam, a traditional Tamil village in Trincomalee, to be present at Kulakoddan Tamil Vidiyalayam to check their identities and to explain the purpose of their stay in the location.

 

● A fisherman was killed in the Jaffna lagoon within the perimeters of Jaffna Municipality when SLA soldiers fired artillery from the shores towards waters of the lagoon. The incident happened soon after the SLA relaxed fishing along Paashaiyoor and Columbuthurai, and allowed fishermen to use paddle boats to go fishing in the lagoon. Rasappu Yogendran, 52, a father of three, was killed and an associate in the same boat narrowly escaped injuries.

 

● Armed men in a white van following a youth along Point Pedro-Jaffna road, opened rapid fire on him near Karaveddi Kunchar Kadai junction in Vadamaraadchchi and forcibly carried the seriously injured youth away in the van. The white van armed men abducted the injured youth when he fell on the road. He was shot at and abducted within the SLA HSZ and just 200 meters from SLA camps.

 

● Armed men shot and injured Thavarasa Dinesh, 23, at his house in Karaveddi, Jaffna, causing serious injury to his shoulder.

 

● Armed persons shot dead a Tamil civilian in Pattithidal, Muthur, Trincomalee. A group of armed men had dragged S. Sithiravel, 25, a paddy farmer, out of his house and fired at him.

 

● Sixteen civilians, majority of them Tamils, were arrested in a four-hour cordon and search operation in Colombo by Sri Lanka's security forces. Twelve of them were taken into custody for alleged involvement in terrorist activities.

 

 

● Two youths went missing at Sathira Junction along Hospital Road, Jaffna. Rasalingam Rajaratnam, 27, went missing on his way to college from his house at Palaly Road in Thirunelveli. Theiventhiran Piratheepan, 28, from Kokuvil was reported missing as he was returning home from Jaffna town.

 

● A group of armed men waiting in ambush shot and killed three SLN troopers on a road patrol in Kuchchaveli, Trincomalee.

 

● Sivaraj Paheerathan, Jaffna university undergrad being detained by the SLA on August 18, 2006, filed a Fundamental Rights petition in the Supreme Court seeking his release. The petition requested compensation of Rs.150,000 as relief. The petition states that the army arrested him for no reason when he was in the office of the Jaffna University Students Union to take a telephone call to his parents in Puthukuddiruppu, Mullaitivu. He has no dealing with any armed group. He has been detained for the last eight months and this has been badly affected his education, the petition said.

 

● Two fishermen from Vankaalai, stopped at a SLA checkpost at Thomaspuri on Vankaalai - Naanaaddaan Road were taken blindfolded to Naruvilikkulam coast. Victor Canisius Culas, 39, a family man and Sebamalai Jebatheeswaran Peiris, 30, were riding on a motorbike for a marriage arrangement, according to their families, who complained to the ICRC and the police. Naruvilikkulam villagers who heard unusual vehicle movement during the early hours, witnessed footprints of military boots at the coastal site of Thomaspuri.

 

 

● SLAF bombers attacked Thiruvaiyaaru, Kilinochchi. Tension prevailed in Kilinochchi hospital and many school children remained at home. Three SLAF bombers dropped around 12 bombs, 200 meters from Thiruvaiyaaru School. A house was destroyed in the attack.

 

● Armed men in military fatigues wearing masks robbed cash, jewels and household things in Thamaraikkerny- Hisbullah village, a Muslim resettlement village in Eravur, Batticaloa. A group of around 10 robbers threatened the inmates of four houses, including women and children, at gunpoint and then removed all the jewels they were wearing. They also searched the houses and got away with all valuables. They also robbed a small shop located adjoining the houses.

 

● Armed persons wearing masks abducted an IDP, a father of one, from his temporary dwelling in Seddipalayam and shot him dead at Kaluthavalai, a neighbouring village in Kaluwanchchikkudy, Batticaloa. Mahenthirarajah Varathan, 23, of Nagamunai, Ampilanthurai in Paduvankarai, previously controlled by the LTTE, fled home due to the SLA offensive and took refuge with his relatives at Seddipalayam. The masked men went to his place, called him by name and took him away forcefully when he came out. They took him to Kaluthavalai, shot him dead and dumped his body in front of the Nagathampiran temple.

 

● The funeral of Mr. Lourdunayagam Princely, 27, the Mannar District Project Engineer of the World Bank funded North East Housing Reconstruction Programme, one of the five civilians killed in the claymore mine explosion targeting a private bus on April 23, was held in the Mannar general cemetery amid a large crowd of people of all walks of life. In the explosion four civilians died on the spot and 37 were injured. Mr. Princely was one of the injured admitted to Vavuniya hospital and later transferred to Kandy general hospital as his condition was critical. He succumbed to injuries.

 

● Kodikamam police recovered the body of a family man at Yathali in Varani, Thenmaradchy, Jaffna. Vellupillai Kanagalingam, 45, lived within the demarcated boundary of SLA HSZ, an area where the 52nd SLA division and SLA camps are located. The hospital said he died of poisoning. Kanagalingam was seen buying things as usual from an eating place the previous evening. He had been living alone in his house, which was also used as a motor repair garage. His mother had gone looking for him at the house as he failed visit her in the morning as he does regularly.

 

● SLAF personnel at Katunayake airbase fired precautionary shots into the air as an alarm was issued in Colombo that two unidentified aircrafts were observed over Puttalam sea. All flights were grounded and power supply in Colombo city was cut off. Tension prevailed in Colombo city following the false alarm.

 

● A SLAF helicopter gunship, MI 24, that took off from Anurdhapura airbase following the reports of unidentified aircraft over Puttalam sea, crashed into a private land adjoining the airforce base but both pilots and gunmen escaped unhurt.

 

 

● Six youths in the protective custody of Jaffna prison, a private house with a capacity to hold less than 100 but packed with more than 200 inmates, have been infected with Chickenpox.

 

● Mannar Police ordered suspension of all state and private sector night bus services to and from Mannar other parts of Sri Lanka along Mannar-Madawachchi and Mannar-Vavuniya roads citing the ongoing state of unrest. State and private sector bus operators were instructed to reschedule their services between 7.30 a.m. and 6 p.m.

 

● The body of a youth, estimated to be about 23 years, was found near 8th Mile post in Thalikkulam, Vavuniya. Local residents said the youth did not seem to be from the area, and he may have been abducted, killed and his body dumped in the area the previous night.

 

● Twelve SLA soldiers were killed and 33 wounded when a special unit of the SLA launched a fresh offensive amid artillery barrage towards Mullikkulam, northeast of Madu Church in Iranai Illuppaikulam, Mannar.

 

● A Buffel APC used by the Sri Lankan STF in Amparai was destroyed in a combined ambush, LTTE military spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan told media. The Buffel, on its way from Pannalagama to Bakmitiyawa, was rushing to the site of a claymore attack on a STF Road Patrol, where at least two personnel were killed and 3 wounded. The STF claimed the LTTE combatants who triggered the claymore device had fled during its retaliation following the attack.

 

● SLA personnel, involved either as the accused or witness in cases of abductions, killings and other such criminal allegations, fail to appear for the scheduled trials in the courts in Jaffna peninsula, causing numerous indefinite postponements of the cases. The SLA troopers are reluctant to appear for the trials in due to fear of their lives under the current volatile situation in Jaffna peninsula, lawyers representing them said. The sensitive trials include those with homicides and suicides among SLA personnel.

 

● More than ten masked armed men in civil clothes abducted a fisheries society member from his house at Kerniyady, Mathagal in Valigamam, Jaffna. The abductors had their faces covered by black cloth and spoke Tamil with an accent when they abducted Sellathurai Thavaratnam, 48, father of six, Thavaratnam's wife Rahini said in a complaint to the SLHRC.

 

● A bomb exploded in an abandoned plot of land located between Chavakacheri town and Chavakacheri Courts, after SLA personnel had appeared at Chavakacheri Courts and left. The abandoned plot of land had been a motor repair garage earlier.

 

● SLA soldiers arrested a teenage girl and a woman at Siththandy in Eravur, Batticaloa, and handed them to Eravur Police for further inquiries. Baby-Shanthiny Vimalanathan, 15, of Siththandy and Mathivathany Kunasingham, 29, of Kannankudah, had undergone arms training after being abducted by an armed group and were arrested while loitering in the vicinity of a Hindu temple in Siththandy having escaped from their abductors.

 

● A Tamil family man was killed and two, including a SLA trooper, were injured in an attack on a SLA sentry unit posted near a lake at Sithandy, Eravur, Batticaloa. The attack was launched from LTTE held area across the lake and the civilians were caught in the crossfire. V. Thuraisamy, 45, a family man from Lake Road, Morokodanchenai, was killed and Upali Jeyasinghe, 37, a trooper attached to Morokodanchenai SLA camp, and M. Kanthalingam, 38, from Sithandy, Morokodanchenai, were injured.

 

● Gunmen abducted a young Tamil family man from his residence in Vipulanthapuram, Mylampaveli in Eravur, Batticaloa, and shot him dead. Thevathasan Inthirakmar, 28, father of one and a labourer by profession, was forcibly taken out from his residence by the armed gang while he was watching television with his family and then shot dead at a nearby location.

 

● The Colombo Chief Magistrate ordered the release of six Tamil civilians and detention of one Tamil woman to a Rehabilitation Centre in the south. They were arrested in a cordon and search operation in Moratuwa in western province two months ago and detained in the Boosa detention centre in Galle. Majority of them were natives of Jaffna district and residing in Moratuwa at the time of arrest. The names of the released are Rajaretnam Gajan, Sivalingam Pirapaharan, Sithambaram Rajaretnam, Ponniah Sathiskumar, Shanmugam Paheerathan and Sakunthala. Rajathurai Vani of Jaffna was sent to a Rehabilitation Centre.

 

● The Colombo Additional Magistrate released two Tamil youths, Kanthasamy Ravichandran and Tharmalingam Thirukumaran, natives of Jaffna district, on surety bail when the police informed court that there was no evidence to implicate the suspects in any offence. They were arrested in a cordon and search operation on March 30 at Grandpass area in Colombo.

 

 

● Armed men abducted a fisherman at gun point from his house in Pesalai, Mannar. The armed men who spoke fluent Tamil and Sinhalese said they were police officials before abducting Francis Thevaraj Fernando, 38, father of four. Fernando had refused to go with the abductors and had been forcibly taken away at gun point from his home.

 

● SLAF bombers dropped bombs in various locations in Puthukkudiyiruppu, Kilinochchi. Four bombers dropped bombs near civilian settlements as people sought refuge in bunkers. No civilian casualties were reported.

 

● SLA troopers in camps across the Jaffna Peninsula emptied bullets in the air in a barrage of gunfire after the Tamileelam Air Force (TAF) attacked SLA's main base complex in the Jaffna peninsula. Tharmalingam Vijitha, 29, a housewife in Eezhaalai, was wounded in Eezhaalai when SLA soldiers opened fire from their positions as the Tiger aircrafts, that completed their mission inside the HSZ of the Palaali garrison, flew at low altitude on their way back to Vanni. SLA troopers in camps located in Varani in Thenmaradchy, Mandaithivu in the islets west of Jaffna, and Atchelu and Uduvil in Valigamam shut off the lights and sprayed gunfire in the air, fearing attack by the TAF aircrafts as the aircrafts returned to their base in Vanni. The military in Colombo confirmed that at least 6 personnel were killed, but said the casualties were due to Tigers' artillery. A defence team comprising high level officials of the SLAF, SLA and SLN were flown to Palaali airbase amid tight security for an assessment of the air attack carried out by the Tigers.

 

● The Sri Lankan government refused to provide helicopter transport to the four TNA Batticaloa MPs so they could travel from Colombo to Batticaloa to attend the District Development Council (DDC) meeting held at Batticaloa Kachcheri. The MPs had requested transport help following death threats from the Karuna Group. The meeting was organized to explore solutions to the IDP problems and to endorse the other development activities planned for the current year. As there were no responses, the MPs were unable to attend the key meeting where the problems faced by their constituents were discussed. The TNA said the government is keen to limit access between the Batticaloa TNA MPs and their constituents, to create political space for the renegade paramilitaries.

 

● An eighteen year old student from Karaveddy, Vadamaradchy and another 16 year old student from Pokatti, Kodikamam in Thenmaradchy sought protection with the Jaffna SLHRC, along with a young family man from Chavakacheri in Thenmaradchy, all fearing death from SLA troopers and SLA-backed paramilitaries. The student from Karaveddy and the family man from Chavakacheri said that armed men in white van came to their houses during nights several times with the intention of abducting them. They had gone underground and urgently need protection. The 16 year old student from Pokkati said his father was summoned to the SLA civil administration office at Kodikamam and ordered to handover him to the SLA. The SLA personnel had confiscated the National Identity Card of his father, the student added.

 

● SLA troopers posted near Kantharodai SLA camp stopped a trader at the sentry, led him blindfolded with hands bounds through a paddy field to a Buffel APC parked at a distance from the camp, and took him to Uduvil SLA camp, his wife said in a complaint to the Jaffna SLHRC. Thiyagarajah Ranjithkumar, 29, of College Road, Kantharodai, a textile trader, was seen by his wife's relatives being taken away in an APC. He had gone out on a personal errand when he was abducted by the SLA, his wife said in the complaint.

 

 

● Unknown persons shot and seriously injured an EPDP member in Kayts, an islet of Jaffna. S. Sivarasa, 37, was hit by a single bullet from a pistol. He had been going out on personal errand on his motorcycle when the armed men shot at him.

 

● A student of Jaffna Technical College went missing. Kanthasamy Purushothaman, 22, from Poovalkarai, Point Pedro, Vadamaradchi, had gone missing on his way to college.

 

● SLA troopers on street patrol unit opened fire on unknown persons who refused to obey SLA orders, close to the SLA Intelligence unit camp at Uduvil in Valigamam East, Jaffna. The armed assailants opened fire in retaliation and escaped.

 

● The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Sri Lanka police conducted an intensive search in TNA parliamentarian N. Sri Kantha's official residence in Mathivela, Colombo. TNA parliamentarian Mavai Senathirajah's secretary Selvarajah Samuel who was at the residence during the search was interrogated for nearly three hours. All the rooms, bathrooms, kitchen and the roof of the residence were searched meticulously. Mr. Sri Kantha was not present when the CID conducted the search and nothing suspicious was found.

 

● A leading Tamil businessman in Colombo was abducted by armed persons in a white van in Wellawatte while he was walking along the road. Rajaratnam Rajapathy, 24, owns a textile shop 'Jeyachchandran Textiles' at Galle road, Wellawatte. Eyewitnesses said armed persons in a van with the registration number of 252- 7285 abducted the businessman. Relatives of the businessman informed Mano Ganeshan, Member of Parliament for Colombo district and the Leader of Western Peoples Front, of the details of the abduction.

 

● Sri Lanka armed forces in large numbers conducted simultaneous cordon and search operations in Vadamaradchy, Thenmaradchy regions of Jaffna. Key roads were blocked and residents were herded into play grounds and temples in close proximity and interrogated. Armed forces and paramilitaries took cover in many places the previous night, cut off all the leading roads entering the city and did a door to door checking in the areas of Kaladdy, Parameshwara Junction, Muththirai Santhi and Ariyalai within Jaffna municipal limits. All the young men and women were paraded in front of masked men for identification. Young men and women from Ariyalai were led to a church and 'identified' by masked men.

 

● Four civilians, including a woman, were killed and 37 wounded when a bus carrying Tamil and Muslim passengers from Mannar to Colombo was hit by a claymore mine at Andiyapuliayankulam along Mannar-Madawachiya road in Vavuniya. Relatives blamed the SLA for the attack on the civilian bus.

 

● Villagers in the LTTE held Madhu areas in Mannar have requested the civil and military authorities to re-open the Puliyadyirakkam Road, the gateway to 13 Grama Niladhari divisions in LTTE held territory. Madhu Divisional Secretariat area comprises 17 GN divisions of which four are in the government held territory.

Puliyadyirakkam Road, the only land route located along Mannar- Madawachchi main road to LTTE held territory has been closed since the outbreak of fighting between government troops and the LTTE in August 11 last year.

 

● The owner of an electronics shop was killed and his associate seriously injured in a bomb blast at his shop in Kaluwanchikkudy, Batticaloa. Kaluwanchchikkudy Police and STF started investigations immediately to ascertain whether the bomb exploded inside the shop or somebody hurled it. M. Sarma, 30, an electronic engineer, was identified as the owner of the repair shop. Thamotharam Kiritharan, 21, was the associate injured in the explosion.

 

 

● An unidentified man of about 30 years was strangled to death a man at Kovilkulam in Vavuniya. His body was found wearing only green coloured underwear.