Reports say Tiger infiltration into Army-controlled Vavuniya, particularly around Cheddikulam, south-west of Vavuniya town, is causing concern. A number of security personnel, including intelligence officers and PLOTE members, have been shot dead by LTTE’s Pistol Group.
The Tigers shot dead two policemen on Poovarasankulam-Cheddikulam road on 13 May. In a landmine attack on an Army convoy in Cheddikulam the following day, 13 soldiers and a policeman were killed and 42 wounded. Following these incidents, civilians from the Vanni were prohibited entry into Vavuniya for a week from 17 May, as the military launched search operations. The Army is seeking information on infiltrators and has warned that travel permits issued to civilians may be withdrawn. People say the ban on bicycles is causing difficulties to students who travel long distances to attend school.
Two full-time Public Health Inspectors have been appointed to look into the continuing health problems in Vavuniya refugee camps, where some 11,000 people from the Vanni are held. Most of these people want to go to southern or eastern Sri Lanka and await travel permits. Some people in Vavuniya have contracted cholera and there is concern that the disease may spread to the camps. Vavuniya Government Agent K Ganesh says that the military agreed on 6 May to allow those in the camps to live with permanently resident relatives in Army-held areas of Vavuniya District.
North of Vavuniya, two children died of disease at Akkarayan hospital in Mullaitivu District in late May. Hundreds of people are affected by malaria, diarrhoea and typhoid. Reports say hospitals at Mallavi, Akkarayan and Veravil are expected to treat increasing number of patients and continue to struggle with shortage of medicines and staff.
The Army resumed attempts to capture Mankulam on 28 May. Army advances on two fronts - from Mundrumurippu, south-west of Mankulam and from Ambakamam and Olumadu in the north-east - were checked by heavy resistance from the Tigers. By end of May, the Army had made little progress, but suffered hundreds of casualties.
Fishermen P Karunakaran and T Rasaratnam were killed by Airforce bombs at Silavathai in Mullaitivu District on 21 May. Three other civilians were seriously wounded. Five soldiers were killed and 23 injured in a clash with the LTTE at Paranthan, three miles north of Kilinochchi on 20 May.