Sri Lanka Timeline - Year 2008

The UNP Member of Parliament, T. Maheshwaran, was shot at and injured by suspected ‘pistol gang’ cadres of the LTTE while he was offering prayers inside Sivam Kovil (Temple of Lord Shiva) at Kotahena in the capital Colombo. The Parliamentarian, however, succumbed to his injuries. One of the nine more civilians wounded in the incident also died of his injuries. The Kotahena police claimed that the suspect, a resident of Gurunagar in Jaffna, was shot at and injured in retaliatory fire by Maheswaran's security personnel and is under police custody.

The Sri Lanka government decided to withdraw from the CFA with the LTTE. At the Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake proposed to annul the CFA, signed in February 22, 2002, between then United National Front government and the LTTE, government spokesperson Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said. "The Government decided to officially withdraw from the Ceasefire Agreement since it is futile to continue with the Ceasefire with no indication that LTTE is willing to enter the peace path," the Minister said, adding further, "The Ceasefire has been violated by the LTTE more than 10,000 times. The Cabinet decision will be put into practice by using the terms and conditions of the Ceasefire Agreement itself."

Four persons were killed and over 20 injured in a powerful bomb blast in Colombo. The Defence Ministry said the blast which occurred at about 9:30am opposite the Nippon Hotel, targeted an army bus carrying soldiers.

At least 10 LTTE militants were killed and 30 others injured when troops launched two separate attacks on a LTTE bunker line at Kilaly in the Jaffna district. Two soldiers were also killed and six others sustained injuries during the exchange of fire. Five LTTE bunkers were destroyed in the incident.

Troops entered the LTTE bunker lines in the Vaiyaththukulam area of Vavuniya district and killed four militants. While one soldier was injured in the encounter, the troops destroyed one bunker.

In the Umayaratuvarankulam area of Vavuniya district, troops destroyed a LTTE bunker, killing four militants.

At least six LTTE militants were killed and more than a dozen injured when troops stormed the outfit’s bunker line at Pallikuli, west of Adampan, in the Mannar district. One of the seven soldiers wounded in the incident later succumbed to his injuries. Six LTTE bunkers were completely destroyed by the troops.

Troops in the Pallikkulam area of Vavuniya district launched an attack on a LTTE bunker line and completely destroyed one bunker, killing four militants while injuring another. Four soldiers also sustained injuries in the incident.

Troops observed an infiltration attempt of the LTTE militants into the security forces held areas west of Palamoddai in the Vavuniya district and launched counter fire killing at least four militants.

The government’s decision to abrogate the CFA was based on a policy decision and the doors are yet wide open for a peaceful and negotiated political solution to the ethnic conflict, said Cabinet spokesperson and Media and Information Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa.

Six LTTE militants were killed in separate encounters Vavuniya and Mannar.

Six LTTE militants were killed after troops stormed the outfit’s bunker line in the Nagarkovil and Muhamalai areas of Jaffna district. Four soldiers were injured during the encounter.

Chief of the "Liberation Tigers Military Intelligence", self-styled Col. Charles a.k.a. Shanmuganathan Ravishankar, was killed in a "random claymore attack" by the Sri Lanka Army’s Deep Penetration Unit at Pallamadu in the Mannar district. Charles, who has been in charge of internal intelligence within the ranks of the LTTE ground forces and led an external operations corps and regular combat force that has been deployed in Mannar district, was killed along with three LTTE "lieutenants" in the ambush while they were traveling in a van between Iluppaikkadavai and Pallamadu at 3:10 p.m. Confirming the news, the Sri Lanka Defence Ministry said that Charles was deputy to Pottu Amman, the chief of the LTTE’s intelligence wing.

At least 20 LTTE cadres were reported killed and a large number of other cadres were injured following a raid by the troops on a bunker line of the outfit at Parappakandal in the Mannar district.

Six LTTE militants were killed in the Adampan area of Mannar district. Two bunkers were neutralised. Intercepted LTTE radio communication later revealed that two more cadres were killed.

Five LTTE militants were killed by troops during an encounter in the Kutinchankulam area of Vavuniya district.

Troops killed four LTTE militants during an encounter at Kaduruvitankulam in the Vavuniya district.

Troops launched an attack towards the LTTE bunker line north of A-9 at Muhamalai in the Jaffna district and killed four militants. While two LTTE bunkers were also destroyed, an unspecified number of militants were reported injured in the incident.

During an encounter at Pallikkulam in the Vavuniya district, troops killed three LTTE militants.

At least seven LTTE militants were killed as troops foiled their attempt to infiltrate into the security force’s FDL at Muhamalai in the Jaffna district.

Suspected LTTE militants killed the non-Cabinet Minister for Nation Building, D.M. Dissanayake, in a claymore mine blast near Rukmani Devi junction at Ja-ela while he was proceeding towards Colombo to attend the parliament session. A personal bodyguard of the Minister, identified as K.P. Rathnayaka, also succumbed to his injuries in the hospital. 13 people, including seven civilians, were injured in the incident.

Troops killed six LTTE militants in the Mullikulam area of Mannar district when the militants were trying to enter the military-held areas.

The LTTE eastern leader Shanker was shot dead by the STF personnel at Shaukade in the Batticaloa district. Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said that Shanker who was spotted by the STF personnel on patrol at Shaukade, between the Sathurukanda and Eravur areas, opened fire towards them and was shot dead in the retaliatory fire.

At least 19 LTTE militants were killed and over 30 injured during clashes between troops and the militants in the Parappakandal area of Mannar district where troops further consolidated their positions capturing an area of about one kilometer covering north of Parappakandal.

10 LTTE militants, including a leader named Kalanadan, were killed when troops confronted a group of the outfit’s militants in the Mullikulam area of Mannar district. One soldier was also injured in the incident.

At least eight LTTE militants were killed and an unspecified number of them injured during clashes between the militants and troops in the Parappakandal and Periyakulam areas of Mannar district.

In a clash between the two sides at Chettukulam in the Vavuniya district, troops killed five LTTE militants and captured one bunker of the outfit. Three soldiers sustained injuries due to the explosion of anti-personnel mines during the clash.

Five LTTE militants were killed in two separate incidents in the Muhamalai area of Jaffna district.

Troops at Kutinchankulam in the Vavuniya district confronted a group of LTTE militants and killed three of them. Four soldiers sustained injuries during the exchange of fire.

Troops attacked a LTTE stronghold in the jungle off Janakapura in the Vavuniya district and killed three militants.

Troops confronted a group of LTTE militants in the Parappakandal area of Mannar district and killed at least five militants.

Troops killed five LTTE militants during an attack launched in the Mullikulam area of Mannar district.

Three LTTE militants were killed and several others injured by troops when they repulsed an LTTE attack in the Parappakandal area of Vavuniya district. Four soldiers sustained injuries in the incident site.

A US District Court in Maryland sentenced a Sri Lankan to 57 months in prison and three years of supervised release for conspiracy to provide arms, ammunition and other military materiel to the LTTE. The sentence was imposed on Thirunavukarasu Varatharasa, a Sri Lankan resident in the US.

At least 13 LTTE militants, including three female cadres, were killed in a pre-dawn raid carried out by troops on an LTTE bunker line in the Parappakandal area of Mannar district. Four bunkers were also destroyed in the raid.

Troops after observing two groups of LTTE militants in the area north of Villattikulam in the Vavuniya district launched an attack on them, killing 13 militants. While six militants were killed and at least one injured in the first attack, troops killed seven more militants and injured nine others in the second attack.

Troops attacked and destroyed an LTTE bunker in the Karampaikkulam area of Mannar district, killing eight militants and injuring several others.

Eight LTTE militants were killed and 10 others injured by troops as they repulsed a militant attack in the area west of Puthukulam in the Mannar district. Four soldiers were also injured in the incident.

Troops attacked an LTTE bunker line at Palamoddai in the Vavuniya district and killed six militants.

Troops operating ahead of the FDL in the Periyapandirichchan area of Vavuniya district confronted group of LTTE militants and killed at least five of them. About four hours after the incident, terrorists fired mortar and artillery towards the troops, injuring 13 soldiers.

Troops launched two separate attacks on LTTE bunkers in the Muhamalai area of Jaffna district and killed five militants, including one militant leader. Three bunkers were also destroyed in the incident.

At least 15 LTTE militants were killed during a fierce gun battle that erupted between militants and troops at Pallikuli in the Mannar district. One soldier was killed and five others were injured during the clash.

Troops in three separate incidents moved forward and destroyed three bunkers of the LTTE in the Muhamalai, Nagarkovil and Kilaly areas of Jaffna district and killed six militants. Two soldiers were also injured during the incidents.

An LTTE bunker was fired upon by troops in the Kallikulam area of Vavuniya district. While four militants were killed, one soldier sustained injuries during the clash.

Nine LTTE militants were killed and eight others wounded during clashes between the two sides in the area west of Parappakandal in Mannar district. Two soldiers were also killed and 15 others sustained injuries in the exchange of fire. Troops also captured nine LTTE bunkers.

Troops killed four LTTE militants during an encounter in the area east of Mantai in the Mannar district.

An LTTE bunker ahead of the Kilaly FDL in the Jaffna district was completely destroyed by troops and three militants killed.

Three LTTE militants were killed and an equal number of them injured when a confrontation erupted between the two sides at Kokkuthuduvai in the Vavuniya district.

Troops clashed with a group of LTTE militants in the Kutinchankulam area of Mannar district and killed three of them.

Troops captured one LTTE bunker in the Periyapantrichurichchan area of Vavuniya district and subsequently recovered the dead bodies of three LTTE militants, including one decomposed female dead body.

One soldier was killed during clashes in the Parikariperiyakulam area of Vavuniya district. Though troops inflicted heavy casualties on the LTTE, the details are yet to be ascertained.

The Japanese peace envoy Yasushi Akashi arrived in Colombo to hold talks with the government and to assess the impact of the decision of the government to withdraw from the 2002 CFA.

Eight LTTE militants were killed by troops during two separate encounters in the Nagarkovil and Muhamalai areas of Jaffna district.

During an encounter between the two sides in the Parikariperiyakulam area of Vavuniya district, the troops killed five LTTE militants.

Five LTTE militants were killed by troops during sporadic clashes in the Periyapantrichurichchan, north of Villattikulam, Kattikulam and Kutinchankulam areas of Vavuniya district.

Four LTTE militants were killed during an exchange of fire with army troops ahead of the Kokkutoduvai FDL (Forward Defence Line) in the Vavuniya district.

Troops attacked and captured one LTTE bunker killing at least four militants in the Periyapantrichurichchan area of Vavuniya district.

A group of LTTE militants who were moving away from their defence line in the area south of Muhamalai in the Jaffna district were attacked by troops. Three militants were killed and one of their bunkers was destroyed.

During a clash that erupted between the two sides at Janakapura in the Vavuniya district, troops killed three LTTE militants and injured two others.

The Sri Lankan military spokesperson Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara told Deutsche Presse-Agentur that the military wants to destroy the LTTE and conclude 25 years of war after the cease-fire ends on January 16. He said the military was already putting pressure on the LTTE at various fronts in the North, and added, "If we continue like this we will be able to defeat the LTTE."

At least 27 civilians, including some school children and women, aboard a Central Transport Bus proceeding to the Buttala town of Moneragala district, were killed and 66 others injured in a claymore mine explosion triggered by the LTTE in the Helagama area near Ella road. The bus was simultaneously fired upon by the militants immediately after the claymore mine explosion.

A group of four LTTE militants, allegedly scurrying back into the jungles minutes after triggering the claymore mine explosion targeting the passenger bus, reportedly shot dead five farmers in their paddy-fields at Dambeyaya in the Heentenna area.

The LTTE leader for Trincomalee south, Arichelvam, who was wanted for numerous killings and criminal activities in the east, was shot dead by the troops at Pachchanoor.

At least 10 civilians, including two home guards, were shot dead by the LTTE militants at Hambegamuwa in the Thanamalwila area of Moneragala district.

Nine LTTE militants were killed when troops moving towards the north from their Mannar base confronted militants at Thirukeshwaram in the Mannar district.

During a clash that erupted between the two sides, troops captured another three kilometres patch of land along Uyilankulam – Adampan road in the Mannar district killing five LTTE militants.

Troops shot dead four LTTE militants in an encounter in the area north of Pallikuli, a suburb of Adampan in the Mannar district. Three soldiers were also injured during the exchange of fire.

During a confrontation between the two sides in the Kurunchakulam area of Vavuniya district, troops killed four LTTE militants.

10 LTTE militants were killed by troops during three separate confrontations in the Pullippankiyarkulam, Villattikulam and Janakapura areas of Vavuniya district. Troops also destroyed one bunker.

Troops captured three LTTE strong points in the Pallikuli area of Mannar district and consolidated their positions in the area. During the process, troops killed nine militants.

Troops launched attacks on LTTE positions in the Muhamalai and Nagarkovil areas of Jaffna district and killed six militants.

Troops confronted two groups of LTTE militants in the Mullikulam and Villattikulam areas of Mannar and Vavuniya district respectively, killing seven militants. Two soldiers were also injured.

Six LTTE militants were killed by troops during an encounter at Janakapura FDL in the Vavuniya district.

Troops on advance from their Chettukulam FDL in the Vavuniya district attacked and destroyed two LTTE trenches. Six LTTE militants were killed and 10 others injured in the incident.

Troops killed four LTTE militants and injured nine others when a clash erupted between the two sides in the Chettukulam area of Vavuniya district. Two soldiers also sustained injuries.

At Pallikuli in the Mannar district, troops killed three LTTE militants in two separate incidents.

Seven LTTE militants were killed when troops attacked a bunker of the outfit in the Pullippankiyarkulam area of Vavuniya district.

Advancing troops captured another LTTE stronghold in the Vaiyttankulam area of Mannar district after a confrontation with the militants in which four of the militants were killed. Six soldiers were injured in the incident.

Four LTTE militants aboard a tractor were killed when troops opened fire towards the tractor moving about 5-km south of Madhu.

Troops shot dead three militants in the Madhu s area of Mannar district.

At least 15 LTTE militants were killed and 30 others inured as troops launched a pre-down attack against the outfit’s bunker lines in the Nagarkovil and Muhamalai areas of Jaffna district and destroyed 24 bunkers. The troops destroyed 12 bunkers east of A-9 road and eight more bunkers west of A-9 road in the Muhamalai area while four bunkers were destroyed at Nagarkovil. Two soldiers were also killed nine others injured during the gun battle that lasted nearly for one hour.

Four LTTE militants were killed during a clash between the two sides in the Navathkulama area of Vavuniya district.

A team of police personnel who were providing security at Allimankada in the Kithulkote area of Thanamalwila in the Moneragala district confronted a group of LTTE militants and in the ensuing gun battle, three policemen were killed. The militants, however, managed to escape.

January 22

10 LTTE militants were killed as troops in the general area (area under government control) of Pallikuli in the Mannar district attacked an LTTE strong point and destroyed four bunkers.

Troops stormed a LTTE bunker line in the area south of Muhamalai in the Jaffna district and killed four militants.

A calendar apparently depicting the logo of the LTTE and the map of a separate state of "Tamil Eelam" was sold outside Hindu temples in London on January 1. The "Tamil Eelam" national calendars were publicly sold at the rate of five pounds to 10 pounds each, a report said.

The Elections Commissioners Department recognised five more political parties in addition to the 53 Political Parties recognised as on December 31, 2007. The TMVP, the political wing of the LTTE breakaway faction led by ‘Colonel’ Karuna, is among the two new recognized Tamil political parties.

Full and faithful implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, holding of provincial council elections in the east and establishment of an interim provincial council in the north are the key recommendations made by the APRC in its interim report submitted to President Mahinda Rajapakse.

Police recovered the dead bodies of 16 youths hacked to death by suspected LTTE militants from a swamp at Kiriketuwewa on the Horoupathana-Kebithigollawa road in the Anuradhapura district.

Eight LTTE militants were killed by the troops in three separate attacks launched on the outfit’s bunkers at Anandankulam in the Mannar district.

The troops launched an attack on a LTTE bunker line in the area south of A-9 route at Muhamalai in the Jaffna district and killed five militants.

Troops captured a one-kilometer stretch of land in the Karpiththanmoddai area on the Uyilankulam–Adampan road in Mannar district and killed nine LTTE militants. Troops also destroyed seven bunkers. Two soldiers sustained injuries in the incident.

Seven LTTE militants were killed and four others wounded during two encounters between the militants and troops at Madhu road area in the Mannar district.

At least six LTTE militants were killed when troops attacked a pocket of militants who were firing at troops from a bunker in the Periyapandirichchan area of Vavuniya district. One soldier who received injuries during the incident died later.

The troops launched an artillery attack on a group of LTTE militants in the jungle north of Palamoddai in the Mannar district and killed six of them and wounded nine others.

Troops deployed south of Madhu area in the Mannar district launched an attack on a group of LTTE militants and killed six of them. Two militants were injured.

Six LTTE militants were killed by the troops during an encounter near the Kiriibbanwewa FDL of Vavuniya district.

During a clash that erupted between the two sides at Villattikulam in the Vavuniya district, the troops killed five LTTE militants.

Troops attacked a LTTE bunker line in the Muhamalai area of Jaffna district and killed three militants.

At least 10 LTTE militants were killed and an unspecified number of them injured when clashes erupted between the two sides following militant’s fire towards the troops in the Pantrichurichan area of Mannar district.

Troops after observing the LTTE militants constructing a new bunker line in the Kokkuthuduvai area of Vavuniya district launched an assault towards them and killed six militants.

Troops in an encounter killed four LTTE militants in the Mullikulam area of Mannar district.

Three LTTE militants were killed by the troops at Vankalacheddikulam in the Mannar district.

Troops killed three LTTE cadres who attempted to enter into the Kokkuthuduvai area of Vavuniya district. One soldier was injured in the incident.

Troops destroyed six LTTE bunkers in the Pallikuli area of Mannar district and killed seven militants. One soldier was killed and two others sustained injuries during the clashes.

Troops at Umayaratuvarankulam in the Vavuniya district launched an attack on an LTTE gathering and killed six militants.

During two encounters in the Villattikulam and Kallikulam areas, the troops killed six militants and injured four others. One soldier was injured at Villattikulam.

Troops fired mortar and small arms towards an LTTE bunker line in the Andankulam area of Mannar district and in the ensuing gun-battle, three militants and a soldier were killed while one soldier was injured. In another clash between the two sides in the same area, one soldier was killed and another wounded.

17 civilians, including 11 children, were killed in a claymore mine attack on a school bus in the Mannar district. The military and the LTTE blamed each other for the incident. A military spokesperson said the forces did not operate in the area, adding, "The blame for the attack on the military is a cheap propaganda tactic by the Tigers cornered in the battlefield." However, the LTTE claimed that 20 civilians, including 11 school children, a teacher of Thadchanaamaruthamadu Roman Catholic Tamil Mixed School, the driver, conductor and two hospital workers were killed and 14 wounded when a Deep Penetration Unit of the Sri Lanka Army triggered a claymore mine targeting the bus carrying school children in Madu division of the LTTE-controlled territory.

The last village of Vaiyttankulam in Adampan under the LTTE control fell to the SFs following heavy fighting in Mannar. The SFs destroyed 10 bunkers and killed 10 militants during the operation. Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said, "Vaiyttankulam was located 1-km towards the west of Adampan and the Security Forces destroyed 10 LTTE bunkers while killing 10 Tiger cadres," he said, adding, the fight lasted for two hours and the SFs successfully retaliated the outfit’s resistance forcing them to flee the area.

The SFs neutralized six LTTE bunkers and killed 12 militants in the area south of Pallikuli.

Army snipers killed seven LTTE militants when they were fired upon by the militants in the Karampaikkulam and Parappakandal areas of Mannar district.

During another confrontation between the two sides at Andankulam in the Vavuniya district, troops killed seven militants. Two soldiers were also injured in the incident.

Five LTTE militants who infiltrated into the general areas (areas under government control) at the Kokkuthuduvai FDL in the Vavuniya district were killed in an encounter by the troops.

Troops launched an attack on a group of LTTE militants moving in the Villattikulam area in of Vavuniya district and killed four of them.

The SFs captured the Muhamalai, Nagarkovil and Kilali FDLs of the LTTE in the Jaffna district destroying 35 bunkers of the outfit on January 30. 30 militants were killed and an unspecified number of them were injured during the operations in which seven soldiers also sustained injuries.

Brigadier Nanayakkara urged the public to be vigilant since the LTTE had planned to carry out attacks by disguising their men as ice cream vendors. "We have reliable information that the LTTE cadres are planning to carry out an attack posing off as ice cream vendors and we are asking the public to be extra vigilant," he said.

At least 10 LTTE cadres were killed during an encounter with the security forces in the Adampan area of Mannar district. The location, believed to be one of the outfit’s command posts, had been heavily fortified with a three-layer concrete slab.

Troops opened fire on a group of LTTE militants in the Kallikulam area of Mannar district and killed at least five cadres and injured several others.

Three civilians belonging to the same family were shot dead by suspected LTTE cadres at Chawakachcheri, defense sources said. The outfit had earlier issued death warrants to the civilians who it accused of acting as security forces’ informers. The Sri Lanka Army report identified the victims as B. Thalikalan (30), K. Baleshwari (28) and B. Pradeepan (17).

The LTTE have urged the UN to recognize 'Tamil sovereignty' to end the 25-year-old ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka, accusing the Sri Lankan government of committing excesses against the minority community in the country. The LTTE political head B. Nadesan in a letter to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon that the Sri Lankan army was involved in the attack on January 28 at Madhu in the Mannar district that led to the death of 18 civilians, including 12 school children. He also accused the Sri Lankan military of being responsible for aerial bombing of a village in Mullaitivu in which seven children were killed on January 4. "Since the present President of Sri Lanka (Mahinda Rajapakse) assumed office in November 2005, as many as 2,056 Tamil civilians including 132 Tamil children have been massacred by the Sri Lankan State Forces," he claimed.

The government spokesman and Minister Keheliya Rambukwella strongly denied any military involvement in the January 28 bomb blast and reiterated that Sri Lanka Army being a professional military would not operate in a no-war-zone proclaimed by the government. The Minister pointed out that the military has so far refrained form wresting control over the territory despite it being a relatively easy task, due to its respect for the existence of the no-war-zone.

The Army said that the LTTE transmissions, closely monitored and transcribed by members of the security forces, now consolidating in and around Mannar areas, affirmed that many conscripted minors, school children and teachers were being sent to the LTTE defence line to the north of Madhu with sinister motives and plans.

Troops stormed an LTTE bunker in the Kallikulam area of Vavuniya district and killed at least eight militants. An unspecified number militants sustained injuries in the incident.

Troops clashed with the LTTE militants at Welioya in the Vavuniya district and killed four of them.

A LTTE suicide bomber on a bicycle blew himself at Thinnaveli in the Jaffna district killing three civilians and injuring 17 others, the military said. Authorities, however, said that the explosion was premature since there was no target in the area.

Troops killed 10 LTTE militants and neutralized 10 of their bunkers in an attack at the Muhamalai FDL in Jaffna district. Two soldiers were killed six others were injured in the incident.

At least eight LTTE militants were killed when the troops attacked a group of the outfit’s militants in the Andankulam area of Vavuniya district.

Troops attacked two LTTE bunkers in the Janakapura and Kokkuthuduvai areas of Vavuniya district and killed four militants.

Troops in the Sirukulam and Chettukulam areas of Mannar district during an encounter killed three militants.

Two civilians were killed by the LTTE militants in the Kachchai and Kodikamam areas of Jaffna district.

Troops recovered the dead bodies of four LTTE militants lying in shrubs in the Vavuniya district.

Five soldiers were injured due to the explosion of an LTTE booby trap at Mullikulam in the Mannar district.

Three soldiers were injured due to the explosion of an anti personnel mine at Mullikulam and Kokkuthuduvai in the Vavuniya district.

Nine LTTE militants surrendered to the troops at Murunkan in the Mannar district. Eight of those militants were active in the jungles surrounding Mannar while the remaining one was active in the Vavuniya district.

At least 20 passengers aboard a bus were killed and 50 others injured when the LTTE militants detonated an explosive device at Dambulla bus stand in the Matale district. The bus was to play on the Kandy - Anuradhapura road. Initial reports quoting Dambulla police said that many Buddhist devotees on a pilgrimage to the sacred Anuradhapura city were among the dead and injured.

Troops killed 16 LTTE militants during separate confrontations in the Sirukulam, Andankulam and Kokkuthuduvai areas of Vavuniya. Two soldiers sustained injuries during the confrontation at Kokkuthuduvai.

10 LTTE militants were killed during confrontations with the troops in the Parappakandal and Vannakulam areas of Mannar district. Troops also neutralized three bunkers of the outfit.

Eight LTTE militants were killed by the troops during an encounter in the Villattikulam area of Vavuniya district.

During another confrontation between the two sides in the Periyapanchurichchan and Navakkulam areas of Vavuniya district, troops killed seven LTTE militants.

At least 12 persons were killed and around 100 injured, 10 of them critically, when an LTTE female suicide militant blew herself inside the Colombo Fort Railway Station. The bomber who apparently arrived at the railway station in a train blew herself opposite the station cafeteria on platform number three at 2.10pm. The head of the suicide cadre was lying on the platform along with a cellular phone connected to a handsfree kit. "They (LTTE) would have targeted Security Forces personnel who were returning to their bases after rehearsals at the Galle Face Green," an unnamed military official said.

Earlier in the day, at least seven civilians, including two children, were injured in a low intensity grenade explosion inside the Dehiwala Zoological Garden on the outskirts of Colombo.

Troops attacked a LTTE bunker line in the Koilmoddai area of Mannar district and killed eight militants. One of the outfit’s bunkers was also destroyed in the incident.

Three LTTE militants were killed and three of their bunkers were neutralized by the troops during two separate attacks in the Muhamalai area of Jaffna district.

At least 13 persons were killed and 17 others inured when LTTE militants detonated a claymore mine targeting a civilian bus, plying from Parakaramapura to Janakapura, at Kobbekaduwa junction in Welioya, 200-metres away from the 223 Brigade headquarters. The dead include five soldiers and two women.

Three soldiers were injured in a LTTE-triggered claymore mine at Galge in the Buttala area of Badulla district. One of the inured soldiers died later.

An explosion occurred at Dandeniyawatta in the Moratuwa area of Colombo District. Separately, an IED that had been planted at the foot of an electricity transformer at Wijesiriwardane Mawatha in the Mt Lavinia went off damaging the transformer. However, no casualties were reported in the incidents.

The troops confronted a group of LTTE militants in the Janakapura area of Vavuniya district and killed nine of them and injured nine others.

During an encounter in the Kokkuthuduvai area of Vavuniya district, four militants and three soldiers were killed while 14 soldiers sustained injuries.

During a clash between the two sides at Janakapura in the Vavuniya district, the troops shot dead at least six militants. One soldier sustained injuries during the clash.

At Umayarathuwankulam in the Vavuniya district, troops attacked and captured a LTTE bunker killing five militants.

The troops stormed the LTTE trench line in the Periyathampane area of Vavuniya district and killed four militants.

Two soldiers and a militant were killed when clashes erupted between the two sides at Adampan in the Mannar district.

12 LTTE militants were killed when the troops deployed at the FDLs in the Nagarkovil area of Jaffna district stormed the outfit’s bunkers at about 5.30am. Five soldiers were also injured during the clash. Troops with the assistance of T-55 battle tanks completely destroyed 30 bunkers - four in the Nagarkovil area, 10 in the area north of A-9 and 16 in the Kilaly area.

At least 10 LTTE militants were killed and several others wounded when troops confronted a group of militants in the Welioya and Kokkuthuduvai areas of Vavuniya district.

Six SLN personnel were killed and one was rescued when the Sea Tigers [cadres of the sea wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)] attacked the SLN vessel in the seas off Thalaimannar.

Two groups of soldiers who were on an ambush in the Periyapanndivirichchan area of Vavuniya district shot dead four LTTE militants and injured at least nine others.

At Kokkuthuduvai, the troops killed four more LTTE militants during another clash.

Troops confronted a group of LTTE militants in the Umayaratuvarankulam area of Vavuniya district and killed at least 10 of them.

Five LTTE militants, including an area leader, were killed and 10 others injured by the troops during an encounter in the Muhamalai and Nagarkovil areas along the A-9 road in the Jaffna district. One soldier was killed and five others sustained injuries during the clash.

At Periyapanndivirichchan in the Vavuniya district, the troops attacked a LTTE bunker and killed four militants while injuring six others. Two soldiers were also wounded in the incident.

Two LTTE militants and a soldier were killed during a gun-battle between the two sides in the Janakapura area Vavuniya district. 10 militants and a soldier were injured in the incident.

The Army captured a one-square kilometer area to the south of Adampan Tank in the Mannar district after clashes with the LTTE militants. 12 militants and two soldiers were killed during the clashes. Five more soldiers sustained injuries in the operation.

Eight LTTE militants were killed by the troops in an ambush in the Sinnapantrichurichchan area of Vavuniya district.

Eight LTTE cadres were killed by the troops during a gun-battle between the two sides at Andankulam area of Vavuniya district. Three soldiers were injured in the incident.

15 LTTE militants and three soldiers were killed during a gun-battle between the two sides at Periyapantrichurichchan in the Vavuniya district. Seven soldiers were also injured.

Six militants were killed during three separate incidents at Mullikulam in the Mannar district.

The troops launched an attack towards a group of LTTE militants constructing a bunker line in the Muhamalai area of Jaffna district and killed five militants.

Troops killed four LTTE militants during separate encounters in the Chettukulam, Ittikandal and Nedunkandal areas of Vavuniya district.

During an encounter at Kokkuthuduvai in the Vavuniya district, the troops killed three militants.

Three LTTE militants were shot dead by the troops during separate encounters in the Koilmoddai and Navakkulam areas of Vavuniya district.

The troops shot dead three LTTE militants in the Periyapantrichurichchan and Umayaratuvarankulam areas of Vavuniya district.

The troops launched two separate attacks on the LTTE militants at Periyapantrichurichchan areas of Vavuniya district and killed three militants.

Three separate attacks launched by the troops at LTTE militants operating in the Muhamalai and Nagarkovil areas of Jaffna district caused the death of three militants.

11 LTTE militants were killed during separate clashes with the troops in the Sirukulam, Karampaikkulam, Adampan and Parappakandal areas of Mannar district.

The troops killed eight LTTE militants and destroyed two of their bunkers at Kallikulam in the Vavuniya district.

Six LTTE militants were killed by the troops in the Janakapura area of Vavuniya district.

Troops operating ahead of the Mullikulam FDL in the Mannar district confronted a group of LTTE militants and killed six of them.

At least 13 LTTE militants and 10 soldiers were killed during a gun-battle between the two sides in the Andankulam area of Vavuniya district. The troops destroyed 12 LTTE bunkers and also injured an unspecified number of militants. 25 soldiers were reportedly injured in the incident.

At Udayanathankulam in the Vavuniya district, troops attacked and neutralised a LTTE bunker, killing at least eight militants.

The troops killed five LTTE militants during an encounter at Periyapandirichchan in the Vavuniya district.

The troops opened fire towards a group of LTTE militants in the Sirukulam, Karampaikkulam and Nedunkandal areas of Mannar district and killed five of them.

The troops during a raid on an LTTE bunker in the Kallikulam area of Vavuniya district killed four militants.

At Kokkuthuduvai in the Vavuniya district, during a clash with the LTTE cadres the troops killed four militants while destroying one of their bunkers.

During an encounter between the two sides at Villattikulam in the Vavuniya district, the troops killed at least seven LTTE militants and subsequently recovered the dead body of one of the slain militants.

Six soldiers were killed and 10 others injured when LTTE militants fired artillery shells at the densely populated Thalladi town damaging the St. Sebastian Church in Mannar.

Four LTTE militants were killed when the troops opened fire towards them in the Andankulam area of Vavuniya district.

At Kokkuthuduvai in the Vavuniya district, the troops clashed with some infiltrating LTTE militants killing at least three of them while injuring six others.

At least 13 LTTE militants were killed by the troops in the Parikariperiyakulam and Umayaratuvarankulam areas of Vavuniya district. A soldier was injured during the incident.

The troops clashed with the LTTE militants in the Periyathampane area of Vavuniya district and killed at least seven militants.

Four LTTE militants were killed by the troops when clashes erupted between the two sides in the Thaddankulam area of Mannar district.

Three LTTE militants were killed and three of their bunkers destroyed when the troops stormed the LTTE bunker line in the Sirukulam area of Mannar district.

The troops killed three LTTE militants and injured nine others in the Andankulam area of Vavuniya district.

Addressing a media briefing in Colombo the military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said in the period between January 30 and February 12, 475 LTTE militants were killed and many more injured during the fighting between the SFs and the militants in the North. He put SFs losses at 39 killed and 178 injured. 46 civilians were also killed during the two-week period while 179 civilians sustained injuries.

Troops foiled an LTTE attempt to dislodge the consolidating troops in the newly captured Sirukulam area in the Mannar district. In the gun-battle that started around midnight and continued for about four hours troops inflicted heavy casualties on the militants forcing them to retreat. The exact details of the casualties are, however, yet to be ascertained, though it is believed at least 35-40 militants have either been injured or killed.

Sri Lanka has said a proposal for providing a safe haven for the LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran has been there "for some time", but felt he would be apprehended by India the moment he leaves the island country. "Yes, that is his problem. If he (Prabhakaran) leaves Kilinochchi, then India will get him for sure," Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona told Asian Tribune.

At least 13 LTTE militants were killed and five others injured during encounters with the troops in the areas west of Parappakandal and north of Pallikuli in the Mannar district. Two soldiers were also killed in the LTTE attacks.

At least 13 LTTE militants were killed when the troops launched an attack towards a group of militants in the Janakapura area of Vavuniya district. One soldier was also killed while five others sustained injuries in the incident.

The troops attacked a group of LTTE militants in the area north of Villattikulam area of Vavuniya district and killed eight of them. Three militants and a soldier were injured in the gun-fight.

At Kallikulam in the Vavuniya district, the troops neutralized a LTTE bunker and killed six militants.

At least eight LTTE militants were killed when the troops neutralised a bunker of the outfit in the Mullikulam area of Mannar district. Three soldiers were also injured while three T-56 weapons and one Icom radio set were recovered from the incident site.

During an attack launched by the troops targeting a heavily fortified LTTE bunker in the Karampaikkulam area of Mannar district, four militants were killed while several others were injured. Two soldiers were also killed while four more sustained injuries in the gun fire.

Five LTTE militants were killed by the troops in two different attacks in the Periyapantrichurichchan area of Vavuniya district.

Four LTTE militants were killed as a group of outfit’s militants attempting to infiltrate newly captured areas in the Parappakandal area of Mannar district were attacked by the troops.

Troops attacked another group of LTTE militants moving in the Mullikulam area of Mannar district and killed three of them.

The troops attacked a few LTTE bunkers in the Mantota area of Mannar district and killed three militants.

A fierce gun battle erupted between the two sides when the troops assaulted a group of LTTE militants who were manning a bunker in the Kallikulam area of Vavuniya district. At least seven militants were killed and three others were injured in the incident.

Six LTTE militants were killed when a fierce gun battle erupted between the two sides in the area north of Welioya sector in the Vavuniya district. Subsequently, the troops recovered dead bodies of the six slain militants along with a Multi Purpose Machine Gun, five T-56 weapons and two radio sets.

In the Mankindamulai area of Vavuniya district, troops over ran a line of LTTE bunkers while killing at least five militants. One soldier also died in the incident.

Troops attacked an LTTE bunker line in the Andankulam area of Vavuniya district and killed four militants. One soldier was injured in the incident. Another attack on a LTTE bunker line in the Andankulam area of the same district area by the troops resulted in the death of four militants.

Troops in the Mantota area of Mannar district launched an attack on a LTTE camp in the jungle and shot dead four militants.

The troops stormed an LTTE bunker line ahead of them in the Koilmoddai area of Mannar district and killed at least 11 militants while destroying three bunkers. Five soldiers were reportedly injured in the incident.

At least eight LTTE militants were killed when the troops stormed one of the outfit’s camps in the jungle north of Janakapura in Vavuniya district.

The troops launched several attacks on a LTTE bunker line at Mullikulam and killed seven militants while neutralising a number of their bunkers.

The troops stormed a line of LTTE bunkers in the Palamoddai area of Vavuniya district and killed seven militants. One soldier was injured in the incident.

The troops confronted a group of LTTE militants on two occasions in the Andankulam area of Vavuniya district and killed four militants.

Four LTTE militants were killed and one of their bunkers was neutralised by the troops in the Perankulam area of Mannar district. One T-56 weapon was also recovered from the area.

The troops during an encounter in the Adampan area of Mannar district killed four LTTE militants.

At Mullikulam in the Mannar district, the troops attacked LTTE bunkers ahead of them and killed two militants. One soldier who sustained injuries in the incident died later.

Troops operating in the Muhamalai area of Jaffna district shot dead three LTTE militants.

The troops operating in the Mannar battle front advanced further into the LTTE-held territory on three fronts from Thiruketheeshvaran, Uyilankulam and Pallikuli, an unnamed senior Army official said. "At least 15 to 20 Tiger cadres were killed in these confrontations," the official added.

At least 17 LTTE militants were killed when the troops overran their line of bunkers in the Parappakandal area of Mannar district. Six soldiers were killed and 16 others sustained injuries in the clashes.

The Naval intelligence revealed that three senior Sea Tiger [sea wing of the LTTE] women leaders, including self-styled ‘Lt. Colonel Kalai Arasi’, a woman Sea Tiger instructor and six others had been killed in the air raids carried out by the Sri Lanka Air Force fighter jets targeting women’s Sea Tiger training camp at Kiranchi in the Kilinochchi district.

The troops launched an operation to capture LTTE bunkers in the Andankulam area of Vavuniya district and killed five militants and injured two others.

Five LTTE militants were killed during clashes that erupted between the two sides in the Villattikulam, Chanakakulam and Periyapanndivirichchan areas of Vavuniya district.

Two TMVP cadres were killed as a LTTE suicide cadre blew himself opposite the Kali Kovil (Temple) in the Kalawanchikudi area of Batticaloa district. The suicide cadre had apparently jumped onto the motor bike on which the two persons were traveling near Satyavilan road, some 17- kilometers from Batticaloa town.