The assassination took place around six pm yesterday while he was riding his motorbike in Viththiyalaym Road, Trincomalee.

The Chief Priest, Shiv Shri Kugaraja Kurukkal, aged 43, was assassinated by LTTE gunmen as he maintained a close rapport with the Security Forces, the Ministry said.

According to Police Spokesman SSP Ranjith Gunasekara, all who moved to Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara districts from kilinochchi, Mulaithivu, Mannar and Jaffna districts, and have not registered with a police station, have to do so before September 21st.

They are requested to bring all family members to complete the process, he said.

“Air Force supersonic fighter jets raided an LTTE high-tech facility located 5Km northeast of Pudukudiirippu area in Mulaitiuvu district around 6.40 am,” Air Force Spokesperson Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara said.

The site is considered to be one used by a high profile LTTE leader with technical capabilities, he said, adding the targeted LTTE high-tech base had been equipped with computers, international communication facilities and other sophisticated equipment used for military purposes.

Sri Lankan forces operating in the North attacked several LTTE strongholds on Sunday, the Defence Ministry said.

Task Force troops in Southern Kilinochchi front lines dislodged LTTE strongholds including two LTTE bunkers located North of Vannerikulam around 6 00 am. During the search operations troops found 66 anti personal mines. Troops later in the morning attacked two more LTTE bunkers located in same area and again one bunker had been attacked around 5.00 pm, the Defence Ministry said.

The Media Centre for National Security said Sunday’s confrontations in Kilinochchi, Welioya, Vavuniya, and Jaffna front lines killed 20 LTTE cadres injuring another 22 cadres, adding 14 Army personnel were injured.

]]> http://www.jasminenews.com/archives/lankanews/task-force-one-attacks-ltte-bunkers-in-vannerikulam-mcns/5211/feed 0 http://www.jasminenews.com/archives/lankanews/govt-requests-aid-workers-to-leave-wanni-ap/5160 http://www.jasminenews.com/archives/lankanews/govt-requests-aid-workers-to-leave-wanni-ap/5160#comments Tue, 09 Sep 2008 05:12:48 +0000 photos http://www.jasminenews.com/?p=5160 Government has requested that all aid workers in Vanni leave the region as their safety cannot be assured by the Government, the Defence Secretary told the AP news agency.

The Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said that the government took the decision for their own protection.

“We can’t assure the security of these people. We are taking precautions,” he was quoted as saying.

Later the UN said in a statement it acknowledged the announcement by the Government and “their request that UN and NGO staff should relocate to government-controlled territory.”

“The UN is now evaluating its operations in the area with a view to relocating humanitarian
staff.

A precise timetable for the complete withdrawal of all staff is yet to be determined, but
relocations will begin this week,” the UN said.

The Media Centre for National Security said one student, three STF personnel and 4 policemen were also injured due to the mortars and shrapnel.
The ambassadors were evacuated to safety while the Italian ambassador was transferred to Colombo for a CT Scan, the Medial Superintendent at the Batticaloa Hospital said. The Japanese, Canadian and German ambassadors were also in the group.

The LTTE was quoted on Tamilnet as saying that they ceased fire immediately when they were informed by a UN official that there were foreign diplomats present.

Navy craft destroyed 2 LTTE boats in a sea battle off Nagarkovil, Jaffna, a Navy official said Friday.
In the clash, 20 LTTE cadres were killed and 2 sailors injured, he said.
“Naval sources said that at least 15 LTTE boats were detected and three suicide boats were also among them,” the Ministry of Defence said on its website defence.lk.

Sri Lanka forces repulsed an LTTE attack on the Galle Harbor Wednesday, a Navy official said. The Media Centre for National Security said 2 LTTE boats exploded at the entrance to the Galle harbor, while Navy destroyed 3 LTTE boats on Wednesday.
The attack started at around 7.45am. Two Navy vessels were damaged in the attack by the LTTE in boats posing as fishing boats, the Navy official said.
“It has been reported that five explosive laden vessels under the guise of fishermen have come for the attack. Three suicide boats were completely destroyed by the Navy whilst the other two exploded themselves at the close proximity to the harbour,” the Ministry of Defence reported on its website defence.lk.
One person was killed and 26 wounded, hospital sources and the Ministry of Defence said. One sailor is still missing. The injured were taken to the General Hospital Karapitiya.
A curfew was imposed in Galle town. SSP Keerthi De Silva said there was no rioting or damages to Tamil property and curfew had been swiftly imposed despite a report by a wire news agency that a riot had resulted in Tamil shops being attacked.
“There may have been some small incidents, but there is no major rioting,” one Sinhalese resident in Galle said.
Forces are also conducting a search operation in the Rumansala Jungle after some firing in the area.
The Galle-Matara main road is to remain closed to facilitate a counter terrorist operation, the Ministry of Defence said.

At least 67 Navy personnel were killed and another 60 wounded on Monday when a truck packed with bombs exploded at a transit point for security personnel close to Habarana, a Navy official said.
“Suicide bombers drove a truck packed with explosives in to the area where there about 15 buses of sailors,” a police official in the nearby Sigiriya town told the AFP news agency.
“We have two helicopters to evacuate the wounded,” the official said.

Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court on Monday ruled that the merger of the North and East provinces was invalid. The north and east provinces were merged after the signing of the Indo-Lanka peace accord in 1987.
Chief Justice Sarath Silva made the ruling after a petition by the JVP.
Representatives of the JVP , JHU and Muslim parties support the de-merger of the Northeast province and have argued that the boundaries drawn during the time of British rule have no historical basis. They also argue that the merger prevents the effective functioning of the provincial council.
The TNA, in a statement in August said “a Tamil linguistic region in areas of historical habitation of the Tamil speaking people in the North East constitutes the very foundation of any negotiated solution.”
It said a de-merger of the northeast province would “strike fatally at the very roots of the current peace process.”