As the LTTE commemorated Great Heroes Week in late November, the Sri Lankan Airforce launched attacks in the Vanni killing fifteen civilians. S Arulselvan, 25, and Rajaletchumi, 75, were killed at Kokkavil in Mullaitivu District on 13 November.
Airforce bombs killed four civilians at Mulliyavalai in Mullaitivu District on 21 November. The following day, M Kavitha, 7, S Joseph, 60, and L Nagendran, 73, died in Airforce attacks at Kottaikattiyakulam. Six civilians, including three students, were killed at Sundikulam on 2 December.
In Vavuniya, the LTTE launched an attack on an office of Tamil group PLOTE at Koomankulam on 13 November. A PLOTE member was killed and five others injured. Vavuniya Cooperative Union’s S Veerasingham was wounded by gunmen near his home in Nelukulam on 15 November.
Officers of the World Food Programme (WFP) are expected to visit Vavuniya in early December to assess the situation of over 11,000 people in refugee camps in the area. Reports say there are 551 widows and 51 orphans in the camps. Among 4,596 students, 489 are not attending schools.
Further west in Mannar District, four refugees smuggling banned articles were shot dead by the Army at Uyilankulam on 13 November. Reports say that the military has killed 12 people involved in smuggling, since August.