There was a sharp rise in violence in the already restive Batticaloa district this week as the shadow war between the Sri Lankan military and the Liberation Tigers which has claimed scores of lives escalated.
A Police constable was killed and another was wounded when they were fired in Kaluthavalai, 28 km south of Batticaloa town Tuesday. Two gunmen on a motorbike shot at the policemen who were also riding a motorbike.
Two motorbike-riding gunmen shot and seriously wounded a 50-year old man on Hospital Road in the heart of Batticaloa town Tuesday whilst he was on his way to work. The victims sons are in the LTTE.
On Sunday unidentified gunmen attacked a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) patrol returning to Kinniyadi military camp, 30 km north of Batticaloa town, wounding two soldiers. Two civilians were also seriously wounded in an exchange of fire which lasted 30 minutes.
More than 500 SLA soldiers cordoned off the area and launched a search operation following the clash.
The evening before, two grenades were thrown at the Kinniyadi SLA camp, damaging its sentry point. Ten Tamil youths were arrested in an ensuing search operation but were released Sunday morning. Separately, a Muslim woman was arrested for possessing two hand grenades buried in the grounds of her property.
A week before this incident, a group of Tamil youths in Valaichenai were attacked by unidentified gunmen using grenades and automatic weapons. A 14-year old and a 26-year old were killed whilst another eight Tamil youths, all between the ages of 16 and 23, were wounded.
On Saturday at least five unidentified gunmen and S:A soldiers exchanged fire for more than fifteen minutes in Kaluwankerny, an Army-controlled village in Eravur, 20 km north of Batticaloa.
Earlier in the day SLA soldiers and armed policemen cordoned off and searched the Sithandy Divison no. 2 and no.3 areas in Eravur. The house to house search operation continued till noon, with soldiers blocking civilian movement, stopping vehicles and closing roads.
A soldier was mortally wounded when gunmen fired on a SLA convoy on patrol in Eravur on Friday. He died on admission to Polannaruwa hospital.
Suspected paramilitaries riding a motorbike fired at two civilians in Kiran also in Eravur earlier Friday, wounding both. Residents said cadres of the Army-backed Karuna Group had stepped up attacks on civilians engaged in political activities supportive of the Liberation Tigers.
Also on Friday, a SLA Lance Corporal was declared missing for six days from his sentry post at Kiran.
A cadre of the Liberation Tigers’ civilian militia was shot and killed Wednesday by gunmen wearing Sri Lankan military uniforms. The gunmen had moved beyond the no-man zone and fired at the National Auxilliary Force volunteer who was on duty at Mayilavedduvan, 3 km west of Sithandy. The gunmen withdrew to the Mavadyvembu SLA base after the attack.
On Thursday evening forty-eight Tamil rice mill workers, were arrested by Sri Lankan police in a cordon and search operation in Army-controlled in Polannaruwa. They were released Friday following registration and documentation of their identities.
More than 500 policemen participated in the search operation which was reportedly triggered by a tipoff had infiltrated the Batticaloa-Polonnaruwa border area, in which several Army-backed paramilitaries operated a number of camps and safehouses.
Earlier last week, a Tamil Tiger convoy was ambushed by men in military fatigues at Vavunathivu, 5 kilometers west of Batticaloa. The LTTE said three of their cadres were wounded and that the attackers withdrew to the Vavunathivu SLA camp after a firefight on October 11.
Compiled from TamilNet reports
A Police constable was killed and another was wounded when they were fired in Kaluthavalai, 28 km south of Batticaloa town Tuesday. Two gunmen on a motorbike shot at the policemen who were also riding a motorbike.
Two motorbike-riding gunmen shot and seriously wounded a 50-year old man on Hospital Road in the heart of Batticaloa town Tuesday whilst he was on his way to work. The victims sons are in the LTTE.
On Sunday unidentified gunmen attacked a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) patrol returning to Kinniyadi military camp, 30 km north of Batticaloa town, wounding two soldiers. Two civilians were also seriously wounded in an exchange of fire which lasted 30 minutes.
More than 500 SLA soldiers cordoned off the area and launched a search operation following the clash.
The evening before, two grenades were thrown at the Kinniyadi SLA camp, damaging its sentry point. Ten Tamil youths were arrested in an ensuing search operation but were released Sunday morning. Separately, a Muslim woman was arrested for possessing two hand grenades buried in the grounds of her property.
A week before this incident, a group of Tamil youths in Valaichenai were attacked by unidentified gunmen using grenades and automatic weapons. A 14-year old and a 26-year old were killed whilst another eight Tamil youths, all between the ages of 16 and 23, were wounded.
On Saturday at least five unidentified gunmen and S:A soldiers exchanged fire for more than fifteen minutes in Kaluwankerny, an Army-controlled village in Eravur, 20 km north of Batticaloa.
Earlier in the day SLA soldiers and armed policemen cordoned off and searched the Sithandy Divison no. 2 and no.3 areas in Eravur. The house to house search operation continued till noon, with soldiers blocking civilian movement, stopping vehicles and closing roads.
A soldier was mortally wounded when gunmen fired on a SLA convoy on patrol in Eravur on Friday. He died on admission to Polannaruwa hospital.
Suspected paramilitaries riding a motorbike fired at two civilians in Kiran also in Eravur earlier Friday, wounding both. Residents said cadres of the Army-backed Karuna Group had stepped up attacks on civilians engaged in political activities supportive of the Liberation Tigers.
Also on Friday, a SLA Lance Corporal was declared missing for six days from his sentry post at Kiran.
A cadre of the Liberation Tigers’ civilian militia was shot and killed Wednesday by gunmen wearing Sri Lankan military uniforms. The gunmen had moved beyond the no-man zone and fired at the National Auxilliary Force volunteer who was on duty at Mayilavedduvan, 3 km west of Sithandy. The gunmen withdrew to the Mavadyvembu SLA base after the attack.
On Thursday evening forty-eight Tamil rice mill workers, were arrested by Sri Lankan police in a cordon and search operation in Army-controlled in Polannaruwa. They were released Friday following registration and documentation of their identities.
More than 500 policemen participated in the search operation which was reportedly triggered by a tipoff had infiltrated the Batticaloa-Polonnaruwa border area, in which several Army-backed paramilitaries operated a number of camps and safehouses.
Earlier last week, a Tamil Tiger convoy was ambushed by men in military fatigues at Vavunathivu, 5 kilometers west of Batticaloa. The LTTE said three of their cadres were wounded and that the attackers withdrew to the Vavunathivu SLA camp after a firefight on October 11.
Compiled from TamilNet reports
