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


JAFFNA TOWN UNDER SIEGE BY OCCUPYING FORCES
	Sinhalese troops occupying Tamil-inhabited Jaffna city have
	besieged the place, with "no-go security zones" declared at
	almost all points of the city. Its entire coastal area is out of
	bounds to ordinary citizens. Navanturai (in the west),
	Columbuthurai (in the east) and Gurunagar (in the north) are also
	security zones. The Gnanams hotel in the city centre is occupied
	by the martial law administrator and his committee of nine
	military officers. The no-go rule is strictly enforced here. Many
	roads in Ariyalai have been closed to the public. On the southern
	edge, new army checkpoints have been erected on Wyman road,
	Arasady junction, Temple road and Sankiliyan junction. Any person
	travelling from Jaffna town to Nallur would have to pass six Sri
	Lankan military checkpoints. At each, he is obliged to dismount
	from his vehicle, remove any headgear and submit to Sinhala
	soldiers documents of identity and residential permits.
	
KFIRS ATTACK MULLAITIVU EVERY DAY FOR TWO WEEKS
	Sri Lankan Kfir jets have been systematically pounding
	residential areas in Mullaitivu every day for the past two weeks.
	The pilots of these Kfir planes -- both Sinhalese pilots and East
	European mercenaries -- display utter callousness during these
	bombing missions striking at civilian dwellings, public
	buildings, vegetation and livestock. Yesterday at 8 am two Kfirs
	bombed the residential areas of Keppapilavu on the
	Puthukudiyiruppu-Mullaitivu  road. Casualty reports are not yet
	available.
	
ONE CIVILIAN KILLED BY ARMY SHELLING -- MANKULAM
	The Sri Lankan army is wreaking devastation on the Tamil town of
	Mankulam, pounding residential areas with mortars and artillery
	shells. Mankulam is miles away from the scene of battle. The
	Nedunkerni-based Sinhala military have also been continually
	pounding the far away towns of Kanakarayankulam,
	Kollarpuliyankulam, Karipattamurippu and Oddusuddan. Residents
	there have fled to comparatively safer areas, but one cyclist who
	could not get away in time was killed at around 1 pm yesterday.
	The Sri Lankan government bombs civilian centres in Vanni to
	terrorise Tamils into leaving LTTE-administered areas and force
	them to migrate to government-occupied areas.
	
DRINKING WATER RUNS OUT AT AKKARAYAN
	Akkarayan, now over-crowded with displaced Tamils, have to walk
	many miles to obtain drinking water for themselves. All the wells
	in Akkarayan are dried up (grass is growing at the bottom of
	some) while the number of displaced steadily increases due to Sri
	Lankaâs continuing military attacks.
	
DEAD SOLDIERS HANDED OVER TO ICRC
	The LTTE has handed to the ICRC the bodies of 10 Sinhala soldiers
	killed in combat on the 19th August. The ten soldiers, who were
	abandoned by fleeing troops, were picked up by the LTTE and taken
	to Mallavi office of the ICRC yesterday. The ICRC will transport
	the bodies to the military authorities in Vavuniya.
        
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)