Eastern Province (NA): Timeline (Terrorist Activities) -2009

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) militants triggered a claymore mine explosion targeting personnel of the Police and Civil Defence Force (CDF) manning a Police post at Weerachcholai under Samanthurai Police Division in the Ampara District on January 1, according to Colombo Page. One Police Constable and a CDF member were killed in the blast. Read less...

Troops deployed north of Meegasgodalla in the Trincomalee District attacked a group of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) militants on January 1 and subsequently recovered forty-three detonator codes, one LTTE uniform and some food items from the incident site, Sri Lanka Army reports. Read less...

Naval troops operating in the Kalladi area recovered eight T-56 weapons, three GPS, one I-com set, eight I-com hand held pouches, two DVD players, one video camera and two cameras. Read less...

Police recovered a claymore mine weighing about one kilogram from the Thatrimale area. Read less...

The naval troops observed and attacked a group of LTTE militants near the Periya Karachchi lagoon in the Kambuirupitiya area of Kuchchuveli. The troops later recovered the dead body of one militant along with one hand grenade, reports SLA. Read less...

Four civilians and three Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) personnel were killed in a Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)-triggered claymore mine explosion at Morawewa in the Trincomalee District in the morning of January 9, reports Sri Lanka Army. The explosion occurred when the SLAF personnel were engaged in route-clearing for a tractor of the Irrigation Department which was taking civilian workers to the Neluwa irrigational worksite, killing four civilians aboard the tractor and three accompanying SLAF personnel on the spot. Six more sustained injuries in the blast. Read less...

A group of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) militants stormed the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) office at Killiveddi in the Trincomalee District on January 10 and opened fire at the TMVP members inside the office killing one of them and injuring two others, reports Colombo Page. In the ensuing exchange of fire between the LTTE cadres and TMVP members providing security to the office, two militants were killed. Dead bodies of two LTTE militants along with one T-56 weapon, three hand grenades, one cyanide capsule, and mobile phone were recovered from the incident site. Read less...

An unidentified assailant killed a prominent Tamil businessman, identified as Thambirasa Ravindran, at Nawakkadu in the Batticaloa District, Police said. Read less...

STF personnel recovered a claymore mine weighing about 20 kilograms during a search conducted in the Mollipothana area on January 13. Read less...

One trooper of the Special Task Force (STF) was killed and two others injured in a Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)-triggered landmine explosion in the Panama area of Ampara District in the afternoon of January 14, Sri Lanka Army reported. Read less...

Troops recovered two T-56 magazines, one hand grenade, 15 T-56 rounds and three GPMG rounds from the Sridarpura area of Trincomalee District on January 14, reports Sri Lanka Army. Read less...

Suspected Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) militants shot at and injured the private secretary to the Eastern Chief Minister, Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, at Sinnathurei in the Batticaloa District. Read less...

Unidentified assailants shot dead three persons, including a civil defence force soldier, in the night of January 17 in the Muttur area of Trincomalee District, reports Colombo Page. Police said the assailants killed the victims while they were travelling in a tractor. Two of the victims are believed to be farmers from the Muttur area. Read less...

During search operations in the Kirimichchiya and Vakaneri areas of Batticaloa District, the troops recovered two hand grenades, five anti-personnel mines and one pack on January 18, according to Sri Lanka Army reports. Read less...

Suspected Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) militants shot at two civilians who went into the jungle area at Unnachchiya in the Batticaloa District in the evening of January 20, killing one of them while injuring another, Colombo Page reported. Read less...

A LTTE cadre, identified as Kulasekaram Puviraj, attempted suicide by swallowing a cyanide capsule after the STF personnel attempted to arrest him in the Kalawanchikudi area. Read less...

Naval troops recovered one pistol, 20 rounds of .22 ammunition, 20 rounds of 9-mm ammunition and two micro cassettes during a search operation operating in the Illangathurai area of Trincomalee District on January 20. Read less...

The Special Task Force (STF) personnel clashed with a group of Liberation tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) militants at Radella in the Pothuvil area of Batticaloa District on January 21, reports Sri Lanka Army. The STF personnel later recovered the dead body of one militant along with his T-56 weapon, I-com set and 30 ammunition rounds. The combing operation was continuing in the thick jungles till last reports came in. Read less...

The Special Task Force (STF) personnel confronted a group of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) militants at Korankerny in the Thavasikulam area of Batticaloa District on January 21 killing one militant, reports Sri Lanka Army. The STF later recovered one weapon, one claymore mine of three kilograms, one detonator, one 9-V battery, one 1.5 ampere battery, cyanide capsule and one pack. Read less...

Two persons were killed and 10 others injured when a bomb fixed to a bicycle in front of the Batticaloa Police station exploded at around 7.30am on January 21 (today), reports Sri Lanka Army. Among the killed were a Police Sergeant and one civilian while two Policemen and eight civilians sustained injuries. Read less...

Daily News reports that Police on January 22 seized 23 kilograms of C4 explosives and a cache of arms while it was being transported to Colombo by a van passing several checkpoints. Senior Superintendent of Police Ranjith Gunasekera said, "The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) explosives van and arms and weapons recovered in Karadiyanarukulam, Batticaloa had been seized by police on information from an LTTE cadre who was arrested in Padukka who attempted to explode a bomb inside a bus in December. The suspect was arrested on information from a vigilant woman travelling in the same bus." Read less...

Police acting on a tip-off recovered five hand grenades and 146 rounds of T-56 ammunition from the Pushpangeadi area of Trincomalee District on January 24, reported Sri Lanka Army. Read less...

Troops in the Veddayamurippu and Unnachchiya areas recovered 37 anti-personnel mines, one CDMA phone, two maps and four T-56 magazines with live rounds. Read less...