Twenty LTTE Artillery Shells Kill Six & Injure Twenty Including Catholic Priest

TWENTY ARTILLERY SHELLS fired by Tiger terrorists from their bases in POONERYN early this morning (29), as Army and Naval troops fought a sea battle against a pocket of Tiger boats sailing towards KERATHIVU island, MANDATHIVU, KOLOMBUTHURAI in JAFFNA for an assault, fell on the town area of JAFFNA killing six civilians and injuring twenty more including two children and a pastor who were fast asleep.

Nine seriously injured civilians were to undergo surgery at JAFFNA Teaching Hospital at any moment upon medical advice.

Tiger terrorists, unable to resist the military thrust offered by serving Army and Naval troops on the islet, lost four of their boats as a result of the heavy fire directed by the Army. Confirmed reports said eight Tiger terrorists died and many, including LTTE’s operations commander and his deputy were injured as a result of the resistance.

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3 LTTE boats destroyed, 15 killed in Army-Navy counter attacks- Jaffna

Army and Navy troops deployed at the Chiraththivu islet, Jaffna sprung an ambush killing at least 15 terrorists as troops claimed to have thwarted a pre-dawn LTTE infiltration attempt at the combined military detachment located between the Jaffna mainland and the Mandathivu island today (May 29).

One soldier was killed while another 2 suffered injuries in this incident. Two navy sailors and an army soldier reported missing in action, military sources added.

Later troops also have reportedly repulsed a second wave of offensive launched by LTTE in six boats towards the islet from non-liberated Ponneryn area, as sources said 3 LTTE boats destroyed and another heavily damaged and sunk in the shallow waters at around 2a.m. Troops have also mounted heavy artillery attacks towards the fleeing terrorists as enemy fatalities were expected to soar, military source said.

Chiraththivu is a small islet located in close proximity of the Jaffna- Mandathivu causeway.

Security Forces are now engaged in search operations in the area, while a military official said that efforts are been made to recover another LTTE boat partially sunk in the shallow waters off the Chiraththivu islet.

Extracted from,
http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20080529_07

Pre-dawn Navy Ambush captures Two LTTE Boats smuggling Fuel worth of Rs. 400.000/= off Ussimukanthurai in Mannar

Naval troops ambushed and captured two LTTE boats smuggling fuel worth of Rs. 400,000/= off Ussimukanthurai in Mannar today morning (29 May 2008) around 3.30 a.m.

The captured LTTE boats were engaged on a run of smuggling fuel for the terror outfit. The LTTE cadres manning the boats have fallen overboard and are presumed dead.

Extracted from,
http://www.navy.lk/index.php?id=829

Air Force attack key LTTE locations in Mullaittiuvu, Kilinochchi and Mannar

Pre identified key LTTE locations in Mullaittiuvu, Kilinochchi and Mannar came under fire from Air Force MI-24 gun-ships today (29).

According to Air Force Spokesperson Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara, an LTTE training facility located 6km Southwest of Mulliyavali in the jungles of Mullaittiuvu was targeted in the air raid launched by fighter jets at around 6.15 am.

According to intelligence sources, the target, identified as 'Vellamalai Base,' was located at Kulamurippu between the general areas of Oddusuddan and Mulliyavali, Ministry of Defence reported.

The target in Pulliyankulama, Mannar was taken by the Sri Lanka Air Force to support the advancing Army infantry and armour battalions around 5.45 am this morning.

Meanwhile, SLAf fighter craft made another precision air strike at a well fortified LTTE forward operational base (FOB) located the the general area of Kokavil in the Kilinochchi district. The air bombardment was launched around 6.10 am, Wing Commander Nanayakkara said, adding that "the base was obliterated in the air raid".

Extracted from,
http://www.news.lk/index.php?

LTTE fundraiser becomes the Mayor

The LTTE’s leading activists and fundraiser Miss Elizabeth Packiyadevi Mann has been elected as Mayor at the London Borough of Southwark council meeting. The Council controlled by Liberal Democratic Party has elected Miss Mann in a determined way as a result of political pressure from the President of the Liberal Democratic Party Simon Hughes MP.

Simon Hughes is the Member of Parliament for Southwark and Bermondsey constituency. The LTTE had its headquarters Eelam House at 202 Long Lane in his constituency. He was introduced to the LTTE by Miss Mann who is a local resident of the constituency. Simon Hughes MP had visited the Eelam House many times and has interacted with the hardcore LTTE members and as a result had undertaken a visit to Sri Lanka in the late 1990’s.

Miss Elizabeth Packiyadevi Mann is considered be the blue eyed lady of Simon Hughes MP and he has rubbished representations about her direct engagement with the LTTE.

When the peace agreement was signed in 2002 between the government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE, which lasted for four years Miss Mann visited the LTTE nerve centre in Vanni many times. She is said to have taken cash and electronic equipments during her visits to the LTTE controlled Vanni.

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Sri Lanka Seeking Compensation for Makkah Property

Sri Lanka will seek compensation from the Saudi government for the Ceylon House in Makkah, which is marked for demolition to make room for the expansion of the Grand Mosque. The three-story building had been endowed by a Sri Lankan organization to house poor pilgrims from the island nation.

“We are afraid that the compensation, if any, will go to the building’s caretaker who had made subtle claims of ownership to the property,” said Petroleum Minister Abdul Hameed Mohamed Fowzie, who is visiting the Kingdom at the head of a special Haj delegation.

Fowzie said that the title deed for the property, which has a total area of 1,000 square feet, is with the Sri Lankan Embassy in Riyadh.

He added that the building was purchased for SR115,000 by the Colombo-based Sri Lankan Haj Pilgrims Welfare Trust in 1963. “This came after King Saud in 1960 granted permission to construct housing in Makkah for poor pilgrims from the island,” he said.

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http://www.arabnews.com/

57 advancing on Mallavi, Thunukkai

The 57 Division has advanced upto the general area Mallavi and Thunukkai in the Mullaithivu District, a distance of 45kms into LTTE controlled areas by this evening. The capture of Palampiddi has opened-up the new front in Mallavi, which is a popular route of the Tigers from Mullaithivu to Kilinochchi. As it stands now, the Army is in control of 600km2 in Vavuniya North.

The Army says that since the formation of the 58 Division, around 2000 LTTE cadres have been killed by that Division in the Mannar sector alone. In today's fighting, 58Division snipers sniped and killed four Tigers in Nedunkandal.

6 and 8 Gemunu Watch (GW) have started consolidating the newly captured 300m FDL of the LTTE in the general area Nedunkandal North. The Tiger FDL was decimated by Army Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) yesterday. Gemunu Watch troops were able to discover a large underground bunker at Nedunkandal North.

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http://defencewire.blogspot.com/2008/05/57-advancing-on-mallavi-thunukkai.html

Rebels Losing To The Trends

So far this year, the LTTE have lost nearly 4,000 fighters (killed, captured, deserted). The army has suffered over 300 dead, and over a thousand wounded. There are also several hundred deserters, but as many, or more, deserters return these days. The army has 150,000 troops, with about half of them covering over 100 kilometers of front line up north. Most of the LTTE fighters man bunkers along that front line.

But the thing that really keeps the army from just marching into LTTE territory is the existence of several hundred experienced LTTE fighters, who have been able to defeat the soldiers consistently in the past. This reserve force rushes in whenever the army advances too far, and inflicts lots of casualties.

Eventually, the army will have to take on this elite force, but the strategy is to use artillery and air power to pick apart the LTTE front line force to the point where the elite reserve force will have to be either broken up to man the front line bunkers, or be forced back to a small bit of territory that can be blown to bits with artillery and bombs.

The army strategy is based on the fact that the trends are going against the LTTE. The rebels are getting less money, less ammo, and are losing more fighters each month, with no source of replacements or reinforcements. Tamil civilians are often being forced to man the bunkers along the front line. Threats against the families of these reluctant warriors keeps them on the job.

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http://www.strategypage.com/qnd/srilank/articles/20080528.aspx

Journalist hacked to death in Jaffna

Sirasa Jaffna reporter P. Devakumaran was hacked to death this afternoon in Navthurei by an unidentified gang.

Paranirupasingham Devakumar, 34, and his friend were returning home at Vadukkodai on a motorcycle when they were taken by an unidentified group at Navatturai around 6.00 pm, report said.

Their bodies are presently lying at the Jaffna Teaching Hospital.

The friend, Mahendran Varadan was a 28-year-old employee of the District Secretariat.

Extracted from,
http://www.lankaeverything.com/vinews/srilanka/20080528130447.php

LTTE bomb attacks have killed 149 civilians in Sri Lanka this year

Sri Lanka’s separatist rebels have targeted civilians on 21 occasions killing 149 civilians and injuring 560 more so far this year, according to the military figures.

Appealing to the public to be vigilant of their surroundings military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara addressing the media briefing today said that from the 1st of January 2008 to date LTTE have staged 21 attacks on civilians in the form of claymore mine explosions, suicide attacks, parcel bombs and shooting incidents.

Brigadier Nanayakkara further said that the Army has been successful in their mission in the North.

Since March 2007, 57 division of the Sri Lanka Army have been successful in capturing 600 square kilometers of LTTE territory in the North, he revealed. LTTE have shifted their defence lines to Mallavi and Tharukkui areas 45 km behind the Army Defence Lines in Mannar, he added.

Extracted from,
http://www.colombopage.com/archive_08/May28121019CH.html

Sri Lanka not to allow mobile phones as gifts

Worried over the growing grey market for mobile phones due to illegal imports from countries like China and India, Sri Lankan Customs has decided to confiscate such cell phones being brought in as accompanied or unaccompanied baggage or as gift.

The Sri Lanka Customs has announced that all goods for commercial purposes/commercial quantities have to be imported in accordance with the provision of the Import Control Act and regulations framed there under.

It said all the goods for commercial purposes, imported or bought in as accompanied or unaccompanied baggage and gifts, contrary to the Act, would be forfeited.

It added that the importer of such goods would also be liable to penalties/forfeited under Section 129 of the Customs Ordinance. This was enforced with effect from May 15.

The action follows demand by local mobile phone importers for strong law enforcement to combat illegal mobile phone imports into the Island country.

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http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/001200805281760.htm

Tamil Canadian arrested over suspected fund-raising for LTTE

A Lankan born Tamil Canadian has been arrested by the Canadian Police for allegedly raising money for the LTTE movement in Sri Lanka.

Prapaharan (Prapa) Thambithurai, 45, who lives in Toronto but was arrested last Friday in Vancouver, is charged with providing or making available property or services for terrorist purposes in Sri Lanka.

This incident is been reported as the first time in Canada that a man in Vancouver has been charged with financing terrorists, for allegedly raising money for the Tigers.

"The funds were allegedly raised for the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, or Tamil Tigers) which is a listed terrorist organisation in Canada,'' said RCMP Supt. Lloyde Plante, of B.C.'s Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (INSET).

Police allege the funds were being collected from members of Vancouver's 6, 000- to 8,000-person Sri Lankan community.

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http://www.news.lk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5965&Itemid=44

Gelatin stick smuggling case: Prime suspect held -Rameswaram

The prime suspect in the gelatin stick smuggling case, Ebiraj, allegedly an LTTE supporter, was arrested near here today, police said.

He was produced before a local court, which remanded him to 15 days judicial custody, police said.

Police had earlier arrested one person in connection with the case relating to smuggling of 83,500 gelatin sticks, 20 boxes of detonators, contraband goods and 34 cans containing chemicals on May 8.

Police seized the huge quantity of explosives and arrested one Nagendran. Police had also impounded the boat in which the explosives were meant to be smuggled to Sri Lanka.

Ebiraj has been lodged in Madurai prison.

extracted from,
http://www.zeenews.com/articles.asp?aid=445481&sid=REG

Somawansa remains as the leader of the JVP-Wimal axed

Somawansa Amarasinghe remains as the leader of the JVP while Tylwin silva was appointed as the General Secretary by the Central Committee of the JVP at their fifth convention held in this evening at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium , Colombo.

Wijitha Herath was appointed as the Propaganda Secretary by the central committee and Anura Kumara Dissanayake is now holding Parliamentary group leadership.

In last few weeks the Asia Tribune predicted about Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s post and most of party loyalists say these leaders could save the party and the nation.

Extracted from,
http://www.asiantribune.com/?q=node/11433