Source: GIHANS/YOUTUBE
Friday, 18 January 2008
LTTE planned to abduct Sri Lankan Tamil politician in India
By M.R. Narayan Swamy
New Delhi, Jan 18 (IANS) The arrest of a Tamil Tiger operative on charges of planning the abduction from India of a prominent Sri Lankan Tamil politician is the first time the rebels have gone this far since the 1991 killing of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.
According to home ministry sources, the Intelligence Bureau played a key role in the arrest Thursday night of Thambiturai Parameswaran alias Surli alias Nathan from Madipakkam, a thickly populated Chennai suburb near an IT corridor that is home to many Sri Lankan Tamils.
Nathan, who entered India illegally by sea in February 2007, has been described as a member of the intelligence wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). He had been tasked with the responsibility of planning the kidnapping of Annamalai Varadaraja Perumal, the former chief minister of Sri Lanka's northeastern province who has lived in and around the Indian capital for years under Indian protection.
A native of Jaffna, Nathan had bought a van in Chennai that he plied as a taxi to give himself a respectable cover. He had over a period of time moved close to two relatives in the area of Perumal, as he is widely known, and also Douglas Devananda, Sri Lanka's rabidly anti-LTTE Tamil cabinet minister.
Devananda, who has escaped several assassination attempts blamed on the LTTE, is a frequent visitor to India.
Following Nathan's arrest, the Tamil Nadu Police took into custody seven other Sri Lankan Tamil men who were identified only as Reagan, Anand, Kesavan, Paris, Akilan, Sudarsanan and Aravindan.
All seven apparently acted as Nathan's sub-agents, collecting information that was passed on to the LTTE in Sri Lanka.
According to home ministry sources, the likely kidnapping of Perumal could have taken place when his eldest daughter was to get married next month in Rajasthan, where he had lived under protection in Ajmer city before moving closer to the Indian capital.
Nathan had reportedly offered his taxi to the relative of Perumal he had befriended so as to drive him to Rajasthan - and thus get close to the intended victim.Source: khabrein.info
11 civilians killed by suspected Tamil rebels
Eleven civilians were killed and a paramilitary guard was injured in three related attacks by suspected Tamil rebels in a remote village in south-eastern Sri Lanka that had been infiltrated by guerillas, military sources said Friday. The incidents took place late Thursday in Thanamalwila, 290 kilometres south-east of Colombo. The death toll increased Friday with the recovery of more bodies. The attacks took place about 40 kilometres from where a claymore mine tore through a passenger bus Wednesday, killing 27 passengers and injuring 63. The perpetrators then opened fire on farmers nearby, killing six more people. The government blamed Tamil separatist rebels. Troops have mounted a search operation for guerillas who have infiltrated the area. As an additional security measure, villagers are to be recruited to the paramilitary unit known as the Civil Defence Force and deployed in the vulnerable areas. All of them are to be armed. The Sri Lankan government officially terminated a six-year cease-fire with the rebels on Wednesday. Fighting has escalated during the past two years and more than 5,600 have been killed during the period.
Source:earthtimes.org
Three dead bodies and 03 injured from the attack on Kalawelgala village taken to Thanamalwila Hospital
Thanamalwila Hospital sources say that three dead bodies and three injured from the terrorist attack on Hambegamuwa Kalawelgala Village unleashed at 1.00 am today have been brought to the Thanamalwila Hospital.
The injured are being rushed to the hospital by the Army and the villagers.
Dialogue only way out in Sri Lanka: Ban Ki-moon
B. Muralidhar Reddy
COLOMBO: Amid claims by the military that at least 25 LTTE cadres were killed in the last 24 hours in the north, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said dialogue is the only way to stop further violence.
Strongly condemning the indiscriminate attacks in the south-east on Wednesday which left dozens dead and injured, Mr. Ban said the attacks coincided with the abrogation of the Ceasefire Agreement.
The military claimed that 17 cadres were killed in Wednesday’s clashes. It said in the Wanni theatre of battle, the Army continued its multi-pronged attack throughout the day. Separately, fighter jets claimed to have targeted an LTTE “senior leaders’ gathering” at Jayapuram in Killinochchi on Thursday. However, the pro-LTTE TamilNet alleged that 790 children and 22 teachers at the Kanakapuram Maha Viththiyaalayam school had a narrow escape when four fighter jets dropped bombs barely 100 meters away from their school in the Kilinochchi suburb.
SLC bans Atapattu and two others for participating in ICL
Colombo, Jan 17 (UNI) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has banned former captain Marvan Atapattu along with two others from all international and domestic cricket matches for participating in the rebel Indian Cricket Leagues' (ICL) Twenty20 tournament.
''We had warned the players about the consequences and we'll stick to the guidelines,'' Chief Executive of Sri Lanka Cricket, Duleep Mendis said.
Russel Arnold and Upul Chandana are the other players who have been banned by the SLC.
SLC has sent letters to SSC and NCC (the clubs of the three players) stating that the players should not be considered for any national or domestic tournaments sanctioned by it.
Source: deepikaglobal.com
Kumble joins Muralitharan and Warne by passing 600
PERTH, Jan 17 (Reuters) India captain Anil Kumble joined one of cricket's most exclusive clubs when he captured his 600th test wicket during the third Test against Australia today.
Kumble joined fellow spinners Muttiah Muralitharan of Sri Lanka and Australia's Shane Warne as the only players to take more than 600 test scalps when he had Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds caught at slip by Rahul Dravid.
Kumble, who picked up another wicket for good measure to finish off the Australian innings, said he was humbled by the achievement.
''It means a lot, you never think when you first start off that you will reach that milestone, but having played this long you keep crossing landmarks and milestones,'' he told a news conference.
''When you first start off, people don't even think you will last two test matches, so it means a lot. You have the belief and you have the faith.'' Despite being the third greatest wicket-taker in cricket history, Kumble has rarely received the same recognition as Muralitharan and Warne.
A tall wrist-spinner who has often been criticised for not turning the ball a lot, Kumble has long silenced his doubters over a distinguished 18-year career, achieving several feats that neither Muralitharan or Warne have managed.
Along with England's Jim Laker, Kumble is one of only two bowlers to have taken 10 wickets in a test innings, which he achieved against Pakistan in 1998/99.
He achieved the distinction of scoring a century against England last year and was awarded the captaincy the same season, at the ripe old age of 37 after shoulder injuries had briefly stalled his career when he was younger.
Kumble is also one of the most respected players in the game.
Australia's vice-captain Adam Gilchrist rang Kumble when he captured his 500th wicket and was batting at the non-strikers end when Kumble grabbed his 600th.
''I've always found him a real pleasure to play against,'' Gilchrist said of Kumble.
''He's got very clever with his experience and those subtle changes in flight, his position on the crease.
''He's just trying to create a little bit of doubt in the batsmen's mind and he's doing that in an effective fashion.
''It's a real credit to him to get that achievement.''
Source: deepikaglobal.com
Subscribe to:
Comment Feed (RSS)
