Northern Province (NA): Timeline (Terrorist Activities) -2019

Police commandos arrested two persons allegedly involved with the Jaffna-based Aava group, at Kokuvil in Karaikattu in Jaffna in Northern Province on January 1, reports The Island. The suspects were later handed over to Jaffna Police. Aava members are accused of carrying out a series of attacks in the Jaffna peninsula over the past two years. Read less...

Army recovered four hand grenades, a pistol, ammunition and several hand phones at Pudur in Puliyankulam in the Vavuniya District of Northern Province on January 2, reports The Island. Read less...

Skeletal remains of 300 people and human bones have been unearthed as of January 16 from the mass grave found in Mannar in Mannar District of Northern Province after the grave area has been expanded for a second time since the excavations began on May 28, 2018, Senior Judicial Medical Officer Shaminda Rajapaksa said, reports Colombo Page. The excavations at the mass grave resumed on January 16 after temporarily suspending the activities on January 11. Until January 16 excavations have been carried out for 130 days and skeletal remains belonging to 300 individuals have been unearthed from the mass grave at the old Sathosa building site, the official said. Out of this total, skeletal remains of 294 individuals have been systematically removed and currently sealed and placed in a special chamber at the Mannar Magistrate's Court complex, Dr. Rajapaksa said. Remains of 23 bodies believed to be children's have been separated. Read less...

Sri Lanka's Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) officers arrested a former Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadre, identified as Suthan from Karanthai Palai in Northern Province on January 19, reports Tamil Guardian. The 40-year-old man, who is understood to have undergone an amputation, was arrested along with two pistols, 150 bullets and locally made gun which were found at his address. The TID have taken him to Vavuniya for further inquiry. The arrest is part of a series of interrogations and detentions of former LTTE cadre across the North-East over recent months. Read less...

Dozens of members of Sri Lanka's Tamil minority on January 26 marched towards a sprawling Keppapulavu army camp in Mullaitivu District in Northern Province, determined to breach its perimeter and reclaim their homes, reports Colombo Page. Keppapulavu's residents fled their houses in 2008 during the bloody last phase of Sri Lanka's 26-year civil war, which was fought between the Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The military occupied over 500 acres of Tamil-owned residential land in Keppapulavu, subsuming the former residents' homes in expansive camps. When the war ended in 2009, Keppapulavu's former residents were moved to Manik Farm, a military-run displacement camp plagued by widespread human rights violations, according to a 2015 United Nations (UN) report. Manik Farm was closed in 2012, and the 560 former Keppapulavu residents remaining in the camp were resettled on small plots of undeveloped jungle in Sooripuram, a village that borders Keppapulavu. Read less...

The Sri Lankan Government intends to complete construction of 4,750 houses within six months for the benefit of the people in the North under its plan to build 10,000 houses in stages, an official said on January 26, reports Daily Mirror. This project has been launched by the Ministry of National Policies, Economic Affairs, Resettlement and Rehabilitation, Northern Province Development, Vocational Training, Skills Development and Youth Affairs. Ministry Secretary V. Sivagnanasothy said that the priority would be given to internally displaced persons (IDPs), families in welfare camps and refugee returnees. There would be a special focus on women-led families, the disabled, landmine-affected families, families of missing persons, low income groups, families living in huts with children and families with elderly persons. "The first phase of 4,750 houses is being constructed through the vote on account allocation following the decision of a high-powered steering committee. The housing programme will be implemented through the district and divisional administration and based on the number of IDPs, families in the welfare camps and refugee returnees. Under the first phase 1,500 houses will be for Jaffna, 670 houses for Kilinochchi, 630 houses for Mullaitivu, 450 houses for Vavuniya, 350 houses for Mannar, 625 houses for Batticaloa, 400 houses Trincomalee and 125 houses for Ampara,” he said. Read less...