Two devastating landmine blasts killed several Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers in Jaffna this week as violence escalated after Army-backed paramilitaries shot dead two Tamil Tigers supporters on Thursday.
Six soldiers and an officer were killed in a claymore mine attack on a Sri Lanka Army tractor in Irupalai, 5 km North east of Jaffna town Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. The explosion took place 200 meters west of Irupalai junction on Jaffna - Point Pedro road. SLA soldiers at the site opened fire following the attack and cordoned off the site.
Irupalai is located 5.2 km southwest of Neerveli where Sri Lankan military intelligence operatives and Army-backed paramilitaries killed two farmers and wounded another last week.
The three, who had been active in organising the LTTE’s Heroes Day celebrations in Jaffna the week earlier, were fired on at a tea shop close to Athiyar Hindu College in Neerveli at 8 p.m. Thursday.
Local reporters say several Tamil paramilitaries have been brought to Jaffna, including a contingent to the SLA base at Neerveli and quote residents as saying the farmers were attacked by cadres operating out of this base located near the Kopay junction on Point-Pedro Jaffna A9 highway.
Violence has escalated in the area around Neerveli subsequently, particularly after the funerals of the two farmers in the area on Saturday.
On Sunday night gunmen fired at the SLA base, wounding a soldier who later died. SLA soldiers returned fire and the firefight lasted more than five minutes.
At around 1.00 p.m. Sunday a claymore mine blast struck a SLA tractor 200 meters south of Kondavil Junction on Palaly Road in Jaffna killing six soldiers and wounding four more.
SLA soldiers cordoned off the site, blocked all the traffic and started to attack the civilians in the area. Tension prevailed in the area, but had started to ease by Tuesday when the second claymore attack took place.
On Saturday one soldier was killed when a tractor carrying SLA troops came under gunfire from unknown gunmen near Chavakacheri Hindu College
Three SLA soldiers were injured in three other grenade attacks in Meesalai, located 3 km from Chavakachcheri.
SLA troopers stationed along the A9 highway between Meesalai and Chavakacheri attacked civilian travellers with rifle butts. Smashed motorbikes were seen on both sides along the highway, travellers who escaped from the site told TamilNet.
All the soldiers killed this week are attacked to the SLA’s 51 Division which has long been based in Jaffna.
Two SLA soldiers guarding the Sri Lanka Telecom’s Transmission tower based in Malusanthi in Vadamaradchy division were seriously injured when assailants riding in a motorbike hurled a grenade at their sentry point at 6pm Saturday. No one was injured when soldiers fired indiscriminately after the explosion.
A bowzer distributing water to SLA troops came under gunfire in Ariyalai, Jaffna along the Kandy-Jaffna A9 road. No one was wounded.
A civilian was wounded when SLA soldiers opened fire following a grenade attack on their checkpost in Kantharmadam, close to Parameswara Junction on Palaly Road in Jaffna around 2:30 p.m. Saturday.
Security has been strengthened in Kantharmadam areas and SLA has established checkpoints at several points in the area.
Another SLA checkpost located in Kondavil Junction on Palaly Road came under gunfire by two motorbike-riding gunmen Saturday midday. No casualties were reported.
The Jaffna - Point Pedro and Rasaveethy main roads remained blocked for traffic as Neerveli residents mourned the two farmers Saturday.
At least seven grenade attacks were reported Friday on military positions in Jaffna, coming amidst a general shutdown in several SLA controlled areas of the Jaffna peninsula following the Neerveli kilings on Thursday.
That day at least five SLA soldiers were wounded in four different grenade attacks in three locations in Thenmaradchi. Two attacks were reported in Chavakacheri town close to the AGA office, one in Meesalai and another in Allarai close to Thambuthottam SLA base Friday night.
In Kuppilan, Valigamam, a solder was wounded when unidentified assailants lobbed a grenade into an SLA position at Kuppilan Junction, 10 km north of Jaffna town around 7:00 p.m.
A grenade attack was also reported in Jaffna town, at Brown Road - Arasady Road junction, close to the Hindu Ladies College at 7:30 p.m. The grenade exploded outside an SLA checkpost wounding a civilian.
Also on Friday unidentified attackers lobbed a grenade at the office of the paramilitary Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) located in Manthikai, Vadamaradchchi. Tension prevailed in the area when Sri Lankan soldiers providing security to the paramilitary office returned fire.
A handbill issued in the name of "Roaring People’s Force" warned that reprisal attacks on SLA soldiers and intelligence operatives would escalate if attacks against Tamil activists and civilians continued.
Six soldiers and an officer were killed in a claymore mine attack on a Sri Lanka Army tractor in Irupalai, 5 km North east of Jaffna town Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. The explosion took place 200 meters west of Irupalai junction on Jaffna - Point Pedro road. SLA soldiers at the site opened fire following the attack and cordoned off the site.
Irupalai is located 5.2 km southwest of Neerveli where Sri Lankan military intelligence operatives and Army-backed paramilitaries killed two farmers and wounded another last week.
The three, who had been active in organising the LTTE’s Heroes Day celebrations in Jaffna the week earlier, were fired on at a tea shop close to Athiyar Hindu College in Neerveli at 8 p.m. Thursday.
Local reporters say several Tamil paramilitaries have been brought to Jaffna, including a contingent to the SLA base at Neerveli and quote residents as saying the farmers were attacked by cadres operating out of this base located near the Kopay junction on Point-Pedro Jaffna A9 highway.
Violence has escalated in the area around Neerveli subsequently, particularly after the funerals of the two farmers in the area on Saturday.
On Sunday night gunmen fired at the SLA base, wounding a soldier who later died. SLA soldiers returned fire and the firefight lasted more than five minutes.
At around 1.00 p.m. Sunday a claymore mine blast struck a SLA tractor 200 meters south of Kondavil Junction on Palaly Road in Jaffna killing six soldiers and wounding four more.
SLA soldiers cordoned off the site, blocked all the traffic and started to attack the civilians in the area. Tension prevailed in the area, but had started to ease by Tuesday when the second claymore attack took place.
On Saturday one soldier was killed when a tractor carrying SLA troops came under gunfire from unknown gunmen near Chavakacheri Hindu College
Three SLA soldiers were injured in three other grenade attacks in Meesalai, located 3 km from Chavakachcheri.
SLA troopers stationed along the A9 highway between Meesalai and Chavakacheri attacked civilian travellers with rifle butts. Smashed motorbikes were seen on both sides along the highway, travellers who escaped from the site told TamilNet.
All the soldiers killed this week are attacked to the SLA’s 51 Division which has long been based in Jaffna.
Two SLA soldiers guarding the Sri Lanka Telecom’s Transmission tower based in Malusanthi in Vadamaradchy division were seriously injured when assailants riding in a motorbike hurled a grenade at their sentry point at 6pm Saturday. No one was injured when soldiers fired indiscriminately after the explosion.
A bowzer distributing water to SLA troops came under gunfire in Ariyalai, Jaffna along the Kandy-Jaffna A9 road. No one was wounded.
A civilian was wounded when SLA soldiers opened fire following a grenade attack on their checkpost in Kantharmadam, close to Parameswara Junction on Palaly Road in Jaffna around 2:30 p.m. Saturday.
Security has been strengthened in Kantharmadam areas and SLA has established checkpoints at several points in the area.
Another SLA checkpost located in Kondavil Junction on Palaly Road came under gunfire by two motorbike-riding gunmen Saturday midday. No casualties were reported.
The Jaffna - Point Pedro and Rasaveethy main roads remained blocked for traffic as Neerveli residents mourned the two farmers Saturday.
At least seven grenade attacks were reported Friday on military positions in Jaffna, coming amidst a general shutdown in several SLA controlled areas of the Jaffna peninsula following the Neerveli kilings on Thursday.
That day at least five SLA soldiers were wounded in four different grenade attacks in three locations in Thenmaradchi. Two attacks were reported in Chavakacheri town close to the AGA office, one in Meesalai and another in Allarai close to Thambuthottam SLA base Friday night.
In Kuppilan, Valigamam, a solder was wounded when unidentified assailants lobbed a grenade into an SLA position at Kuppilan Junction, 10 km north of Jaffna town around 7:00 p.m.
A grenade attack was also reported in Jaffna town, at Brown Road - Arasady Road junction, close to the Hindu Ladies College at 7:30 p.m. The grenade exploded outside an SLA checkpost wounding a civilian.
Also on Friday unidentified attackers lobbed a grenade at the office of the paramilitary Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) located in Manthikai, Vadamaradchchi. Tension prevailed in the area when Sri Lankan soldiers providing security to the paramilitary office returned fire.
A handbill issued in the name of "Roaring People’s Force" warned that reprisal attacks on SLA soldiers and intelligence operatives would escalate if attacks against Tamil activists and civilians continued.
