Northern Province (NA): Timeline (Terrorist Activities) -2017

Mullaitivu District Court on January 2 asked the Army to submit the list of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadres who surrendered to the security forces during the final phase of the war with the LTTE in 2009, reports Colombo Page. District Judge M.S.M. Samsudeen ordered the Army to submit the list by January 30 when he heard a case related to individuals who allegedly disappeared after surrendering to the security forces. Read less...

Sri Lanka Army reports that troops on their search and clear operations in Kankasanthurai and Valayapariththikulam areas in the North recovered one hand grenade and one 81-mm mortar bomb on December 10. Read less...

Vavuniya Government Agent M.B.R. Pushpakumara on January 17 said the Omanthai Army Camp and Checkpoint on the A-9 Road had been dismantled after 25 years and the land occupied by the Army was officially handed over him to be given to its original owners, reports Daily Mirror. He told that the camp was set up in 1992 for security reasons and the checkpoint began operations on March 22, 2002 and became well known as one of the important nerve centres with vehicles and people passing through having to undergo a stringent check at this point. Mr. Pushpakumara said 16 of the 19 acres occupied by the army were handed over to him and that the army had informed him that the remaining three acres would also be handed over to him after the army removed their belongings. Read less...

Vavuniya Government Agent M.B.R. Pushpakumara on January 17 said the Omanthai Army Camp and Checkpoint on the A-9 Road had been dismantled after 25 years and the land occupied by the Army was officially handed over him to be given to its original owners. Read less...

Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneshwaran speaking during a discussion with Political, Trade and Communications Counsellor of the European Delegation in Sri Lanka and Maldives Paul Godfrey in Jaffna District on January 21 said that no skills based training was provided to ExLiberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadres during the reconciliation programmes, reports Daily News. “No skills based training was provided to Ex LTTE cadres during the reconciliation programmes. No opportunities were provided to continue their normal life. And if any problem occurred in the area, the police immediately arrested them. This situation has to change immediately. Measures have to be taken to give them recognition,” the Chief Minister said. Read less...

Government at a function held in Mullaitivu District on January 25  handed over another 243 acres of land held by Army to the people in the North, reports Colombo Page. At the function land entitlement deeds were presented to 1,352 families and subsistence to the tune of 100,000 rupees were given to 300 low income families of the District. Read less...

Four ex-Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadres in the Tamil-majority Northern Province were arrested by the Terrorism Investigation Department (TID) officials, for plotting to assassinate Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran earlier this month, reports Colombo Page on January 28. The TID officials reportedly received the information about the plot from one rehabilitated Tamil youth who was approached by the four suspects to carry out the assassination. A TID team arrested Murugiah Thavavaenthan (32), an ex-LTTE cadre from a house in Kilinochchi on January 14, and another ex-LTTE cadre Karalasingham Kulendran alias Master (37), at his work place in Kilinochchi. Subsequent interrogation led to the arrest of two other ex-LTTE cadres in Trincomalee and Thaalayadi. TID officials later raided a house belonging to a relative of Kulendran in Ootrupulam, Kilinochchi and recovered two claymore mines one of which was particularly powerful. Confirming that he received a security threat, Sumanthiran said, the Government informed him about it, sharing some specific details. On January 13, the parliamentarian, who was to be in Jaffna to participate in an event, cancelled his trip at the last minute. Read less...