LTTE Headquarters,
                                                Tamil Eelam.
                                                20. August 1997
PRESS RELEASE
NEWS FROM TAMIL EELAM

LTTE DRIVES BACK MILITARY ADVANCE FROM A SECOND FRONT
	LTTE forces yesterday morning drove back a Sri Lankan army advance
	from a second front heading from Mariamadu towards Puliyankulam. This
	advance took place a few miles away from the other attempt made
	yesterday morning from Palayawadi, which was also crushed by the LTTE.
	At Mariamadu, too, Sri Lankan forces incurred heavy losses in men and
	arms and were forced to withdraw in disarray. The bodies of three
	soldiers were recovered by the LTTE. Three LTTE fighters lost their
	lives and some arms and ammunition was captured.
	
TAMIL YOUTH IN DETENTION CENTRES ARRESTED
	Sri Lanka's armed forces on Friday used masked men to arbitrarily
	select Tamil youth for arrest. The 6 youths picked out were people who
	were being forcibly held in army-run detention camps in Vavuniya. The
	masked men were called in by the army to the Vavuniya Muslim Maha
	Vidyalam, Velikulam camp, CCTM school camp and the Poomthoddam camp,
	where they gave a nod of the head to specify who should be arrested.
	Five young Tamil men and one young Tamil woman were the unfortunate
	victims. The girl was put through a terrifying interrogation but was
	later released. The five boys were loaded onto army trucks and taken
	away to an unknown destination. They have not been seen since.
	
THREE TAMILS CRITICALLY WOUNDED BY ARMY SHELLS
	Sri Lankan army shelling directed yesterday on the Tamil town of
	Mankulam has critically wounded three Tamil civilians. Sinhalese armed
	forces launched the shells from Nedunkerni and Mathiamadu army camps.
	The victims are -- I. Rajagopal (23), K. Paramasivam (23) and an
	unidentified woman, all from Mankulam. They are in hospital suffering
	extensive injuries.
	
ARMY BANS MOBILE MEDICAL SERVICES IN BATTICALOA
	The Sinhalese army commander for Batticaloa has banned mobile medical
	services to Tamils living outside army occupied areas. Areas like
	Vavunathivu, Pattipallai and Kerativu are largely dependent on these
	mobile medical services since no government hospitals are found there.
	The mobile services have been stopped since 21 July. The government is
	trying to force Tamils into army-occupied areas by making conditions
	intolerable in unoccupied areas.
	
NO TRACE OF 36 TAMILS ARRESTED IN JAFFNA
	Mystery surrounds the fate of 36 innocent Tamils arrested in Jaffna by
	the occupying Sinhalese armed forces. 30 of those missing are from
	Valigamam and 6 from Thenmaradchy. Relatives of the missing tried to
	approach the Sinhala army camp for information but were dismissed
	without being given any further assistance.    
	
Political Committee,
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
	
(English translation of the LTTE statement released by LTTE
International Secretariat, 211 Katherine Road, London E6 1BU,
United Kingdom.  Tel:0181- 503 4294)