LTTE Headquarters,
                                                Tamil Eelam.
                                                18. January 1997


PRESS RELEASE
NEWS FROM TAMIL EELAM

MI 24's STRIKE TAMIL VILLAGE
        Sri Lankan military helicopters yesterday opened fire on the
        Tamil fishing village of Nachchikuda. Rockets and shells were
        fired at homes and buildings all afternoon, then again in the
        evening. Five Tamil people, including a five-year old, were badly
        hurt. The residents of Nachchikuda are no strangers to incidents
        of this kind. Sri Lankan forces a year ago bombed the village
        massacring scores of Tamil civilians. In yesterday's attack
        cottages caught fire and trees were burnt. Sri Lanka has stepped
        up its random attacks on populated Tamil areas in recent months.

TAMILS BEATEN IN ROUND-UP OPERATION
        Tamil residents of Mirusuvil (Thenmaradchy) were on Thursday
        subjected to a fearsome ordeal by Sri Lankan forces. Men, women
        and children were herded into an open field where they were
        beaten severely with rifle-butts. One Tamil lady, Poopathy, was
        dragged into view and tortured in front of the crowd. One
        Kanthasamy Panchalingam was removed by the army and has not been
        seen since. So-called "cordon and search" operations by Sri
        Lankan forces are becoming more and more traumatic for Tamil
        residents forced to live under Sri Lankan occupation in the north
        and east.

3 DEAD SAILORS RETURNED
        The LTTE has handed over the bodies of 3 Sri Lankan sailors
        killed in Thursday's LTTE sea-attack on a navy patrol boat in the
        waters off Mandaitivu and Gurnagar (close to Jaffna town). The
        International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) received the
        bodies.

COL. KITTU REMEMBERED - MANNAR
        Remembrance ceremonies in memory of colonel Kittu (and nine
        others who died with him) were concluded in Mannar (Tamil Eelam)
        on Thursday with a public meeting presided over by various
        respected members of the Tamil nation.

SPY PLANE CRASH-LANDS
        A Sri Lankan unmanned spy plane has crashed in Tamil Vanni
        territory. The aircraft which was equipped with the latest radar
        and photo technology came down in Pooneryn due to apparent
        mechanical failure. It had been used ostensibly to gather
        military information but Sri Lankan forces have nevertheless
        routinely bombed civilian locations in the vicinity.

CIVILIAN MAKES LUCKY ESCAPE
        A Tamil civilian was injured after being shot at randomly by
        Sinhala soldiers in Vatakachchi. Thavanantharasa, 35, said it was
        a miracle he was alive after the soldiers chasing him fired many
        times at him for no apparent reason.

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/ Fax: 0181-470 8593)