North tense after more violence

 Seven LTTE cadres killed as military retaliates, civilians also injured

At least seven suspected LTTE cadres were killed and two soldiers injured when an attack was launched on a military checkpoint near the Nelliady filling station in Jaffna yesterday evening.

Military spokesman Prasad Samarasinghe said that around 2.15 p.m. seven LTTE cadres armed with hand grenades arrived in two three-wheelers and launched an attack on the two soldiers at the military checkpoint near the filling station at Nelliyadi and fled the scene.

"On being informed about the movement of the three-wheelers, troops at the nearby Navindil camp blocked the passage of the three-wheelers and fired at them. Simultaneously, a huge explosion occurred inside the second three-wheeler killing all the men inside", the spokesman said.

Then soldiers had opened fire at the first three-wheeler while the LTTE cadres had thrown hand grenades at the troops. After the fierce battle ended, soldiers recovered seven bodies of LTTE cadres along with several hand grenades scattered around, the spokesman said.

He said the SLMM was to be informed about the incident while magisterial and police inquiries were being made.

Military sources said the cadres were from LTTE’s auxiliary force which had been given military training for handling hand grenades and weapons to carry out attacks on the military, posing as civilians.

Following the incident, the security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the area.

The north was marred by violence from yesterday morning when two home guards were killed and nine injured in two different incidents in Vavuniya.

Military sources said a cluster of claymore mines allegedly activated by the LTTE killed the two home guards at Avaranthulawa on the Vavuniya-Cheddikulam road and injured two others. The home guards were caught in the blast while returning from a Police post where they were on duty.

In the second incident a police constable was injured when a suspected LTTE cadre hurled a hand grenade at him and opened fire near the Vavuniya clock tower where he was on duty yesterday afternoon. A soldier and two civilians were also injured in the attack.

Shops and other institutions in Vavuniya were closed after the incidents while Army reinforcements were called in to defuse the tense situation that was building up. The latest incidents came a day after the police found three bodies of blindfolded youths with several stab injuries from the Cheddikulam area in Vavuniya. According to initial investigations, the victims had been stabbed to death while their mouths were plastered.

With the latest incidents, the SLMM reiterated its call to the Government and the LTTE to act with restraint.

"We would like to reiterate to both the government and the LTTE that violence appears to be escalating beyond control and those who are suffering the most are the innocent civilians," SLMM spokesperson Helen Olafsdottir said.

Meanwhile, another attempt allegedly by the LTTE to explode a powerful remote controlled claymore mine targetting the Security Forces was thwarted when the Air force detected it yesterday at the Anuradhapura junction in Trincomalee. It was only on Monday the LTTE exploded a similar claymore mine at Trincomalee town targeting a Navy foot patrol, killing four civilians and a sailor.

The claymore mine fixed on a push bicycle, exploded as a Navy foot patrol was going past Sanmugam Vidyalayam in Trincomalee town.

In another incident in Jaffna a soldier was injured when a gunman fired at an Army sentry point at Thirunelveli in Jaffna.

Meanwhile, a soldier attached to a Nagarkovil Army camp committed suicide yesterday morning by hanging himself inside a barracks.-Daily Mirror-By Kurulu Kariyakarawana, Easwaran Rutnam and Sunil Jayasiri

Sri Lanka Country Condition & Diaspora Tamils in Canada

As Canadian Tamil mothers, we condemn the recent suicide bombing that was carried out by a Tamil Pregnant woman.  We urge all the members of our community to condemn this kind of atrocities which may come in the name of Tamil freedom.

As Canadian Tamils, we welcome the recent banning of the LTTE by the Government of Canada. It is true that the community is affected by the extortion and intimidation tactics by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). We welcome the actions of the Canadian government and the actions of the law enforcement agencies especially the RCMP’s actions are with the ground realities of Tamils in Toronto.

 As Canadians we also urge Canadian government to act politically on international stage to stop the suicide bombings by the LTTE and also we urge the Government of Canada to pressure the Sri Lankan government to go for devolution of power within a unified island of Sri Lanka.

As Canadians we want to preserve the multicultural mosaic in Canada at the same time we urge the Canadians to wear Black ribbons to condemn the violence which is orchestrated by both the LTTE and the Sri Lankan government forces. We declare the one week starting from May 08, 2006 as a “Black Week” to condemn this kind of violence.

As a group of Tamil mothers, we humbly request the LTTE leadership not to use innocent babies who are in the womb of mothers as suicide bombers. A mother’s affection & emotional ties to a baby can be felt by another mother only. So we kindly urge the LTTE leadership to consult the Tamil mother’s front in Sri Lanka before the use of next pregnant women as a suicide bomber.

Due to the nature of this attack we urge all Candian mothers not to have any celebrations this summer. We humbly request all the Tamils to boycott “Kondadum” – a festival organized for raising funds for the war by the LTTE supporters, when a baby was killed in the name of Tamil nation. The funds which will be use to brainwash another depressed pregnant woman to go as suicide bobmber(s).

Mercy Grace PooPaulpillai – President

2345 Confederation Pky,

Mississuaga, Ont. L5B 2H3