ARMY COUNTERS FALSE PROPAGANDA BY TIGER TERRORISTS

The pro-LTTE media on 14.06.06 carried a highly dubious news story titled “Claymore attack averted in Vanni, 3 dead in gunfire”.

The report alleges that “Tamil Auxiliaries” on a road clearing patrol recovered a body of a male purported to be a Sri Lankan Army (SLA) soldier killed during an exchange of fire between Nainamadu and Puliyankulam on the Nedunkerni road on Tuesday (13 June).
It also reports “The Auxiliaries seized boots and ammunitions” allegedly used by the Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) of the Sri Lanka Army.

Also found by the Auxiliaries was ONE bag with ‘SLA’ markings.
The news report carried two photographs of the equipment and one of the body.
It is an open secret that the Tamil Tigers (LTTE) are in possession of equipment and other military hardware including communication equipment captured from SLA during past operations against Security Forces.
Apparently the Tamil Tigers (LTTE) have used a few of these very same items for their advantage to justify their case.

This is one of the innumerable instances the Tamil Tigers (LTTE) have attempted to tarnish the image of the Sri Lanka Security Forces in the eyes of the international community.
On June 12th an Officer was reported missing from the Forward Defence Line (FDL) Omanthai. On June 05th another Officer was reported missing from Vavuniya.

The possibility of the body as one of the missing cannot be ruled out. The Tamil Tigers (LTTE) has a long history of resorting to the abduction of both military and civilians.
The above incident reported on 14.06.06 by the pro-LTTE media could be linked to another instance of LTTE fabrication and false propaganda.

(http://www.army.lk/morenews.php?id=858)

Eight killed in the north

International truce monitors say that they expect Tamil Tigers to hand over the body of the alleged Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldier killed in rebel-held territory on Tuesday.

The LTTE said two of their members and a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldier were killed near Vavuniya in the rebel-held territory.

There has been a gunfire between the SLA and the LTTE in the area, Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) spokesman Thorfinnur Omarsson told BBC Sandeshaya.

Monitors who visited the scene have reported that the alleged SLA soldiers were not wearing military uniforms.

Setting up claymore mines

The SLMM is to make a ruling on the incident after receiving the body, Omarsson said.

But the SLA rejected LTTE claims that their soldiers entered rebel-held territory to set up claymore mines.

“Two soldiers have been abducted by the LTTE in last few days,” military spokesman Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe told bbcsinhala.com.

Rejecting the LTTE claims, he said it one of those soldiers might have been killed in Vavuniya.

"It will only be clear when we recieve the body".

Transporting drugs

Meanwhile, Major Kamal Kariyawasam has been arrested in Vavuniya while transporting 15kg of drugs.

Describing it as “a disgrace” Brig. Samarasinghe said he should be brought into a military court.

In Jaffna, a soldier was killed by a sniper and an LTTE member was shot dead in Jaffna.

The spokesman accused the LTTE pistol group of killing a 56-year old civilian near Jaffna hospital.

Two home guards have been killed in Vavuniya, he added.

(http://www.bbc.co.uk/sinhala/news/story/2006/06/printable/060614_sla_ltte.shtml)

Sri Lankan soldier in Tiger uniform (Tamilnet)

 

Communication equipment of the DPU team (Tamilnet)

 

SLA backpack kits (Tamilnet)

 

Three killed in clash between LTTE and Sri Lankan forces

Tamil Tiger rebels attacked Government soldiers who were planting land mines in rebel-held territory in northern Sri Lanka, sparking a gunbattle that killed two guerrillas and a soldier, the rebels and a truce monitor said Wednesday.

The clash occurred Tuesday in Nedunkerny village, the rebels said on their Web site.

Thorfinnur Omarsson, a spokesman for the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, a group of independent European cease-fire monitors, said ``it is apparently true'' that soldiers dressed in rebel uniforms were planting Claymore anti-personnel mines in the village.

Two rebels and one Government soldier were killed in the clash while four other soldiers escaped unhurt, he said.

However, military spokesman Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe accused the rebels of fabricating the incident and falsely accusing the soldiers of bearing arms in rebel territory -- a violation of a 2002 cease-fire agreement.

``This is totally fabricated,'' Samarasinghe said. ``We totally deny'' that armed soldiers were in the rebel-held village.

The government and the rebels have blamed each other for a recent spike in attacks that threatens the fragile truce.

Hundreds of government soldiers and dozens of Tamil Tigers have been killed since April, but both sides deny responsibility for the violence.

The Tamil Tiger rebels began fighting for a separate homeland in 1983, accusing the majority Sinhalese of discrimination. More than 65,000 people were killed before the cease-fire.

(http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/003200606141340.htm)

Soldier missing from Omanthai FDL since Tuesday

An army soldier has been reportedly missing from the Omanthai Forward Defence Line (FDL) since Tuesday morning (13th of June). The missing soldier was supposed to report on duty at a listening post on the FDL for the Midnight shift. A search operation has been continuing to trace the missing soldier.

Claymore attack averted in Vanni, 3 dead in gunfire

Members of Tamil auxilliary brigade on a road clearing patrol on Nedunkerni road, between Nainamadu and Puliyankulam, inside the Liberation Tigers controlled area intercepted a team of Deep Penetration Unit (DPU) troopers of the Sri Lanka Army, who were fixing 3 Claymore mines. Two Tamil auxilliaries and an SLA soldier were killed when both exchanged gunfire. At least one bag with "SLA" mark was recovered from the attackers, according to the video footage released by the National Television of Tamileelam (NTT). The SLA soldier killed was clad in LTTE uniform. The clash took place around 11:00 a.m. Tuesday.

The body of the SLA trooper was captured by the auxilliaries.

Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission officials inspected the clash site and the body of the DPU trooper who was killed in the firefight.

Commander Velevan of the LTTE explained the details of the DPU planned Claymore attack that was averted.

The auxilliaries seized tools and ammunition used by the Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) troops of the the Sri Lanka Army. LRRP is also known as Deep Penetration Unit.

(http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=18491)