LTTE Headquarters,
                                                Tamil Eelam.
                                                02. March 1997


PRESS RELEASE
NEWS FROM TAMIL EELAM

PUCCARA MISSES ITS HUMAN TARGETS
	A Sri Lankan airforce plane yesterday dropped three bombs in
	succession on Mullaitivu missing its intended human targets.
	After flying a number of threatening rounds over heavily
	populated areas the Puccara-jet fired three times knocking down
	houses and nearby trees but missed civilians. Sri Lanka routinely
	fires on Tamil civilians in the northern Vanni region.
	
	The Chandrika-government's strategy has from the beginning
	focused on breaking the political will of the Tamil people by
	targeting them militarily. Each successive military offensive has
	sought to achieve this. In phase one, military forces killed and
	drove out Tamils from Jaffna creating a mass displacement
	southwards, mainly to Kilinochchi. In phase two, forces
	indiscriminately bombed Kilinochchi sending people away again,
	this time mostly eastwards to Mullaitivu. The present Puccara
	raids on Mullaitivu are simply the latest attempt in this
	relentless effort to break the resistance of the Tamil people by
	consistently uprooting and terrorising them.

LTTE HELPS MANNAR FARMERS
	The LTTE with the assistance of the Tamil Eelam Economic
	Development Organisation (TEEDOR) has issued fruit seeds and
	plants to Tamil farmers in Mannar. The distribution of 1240 fruit
	plants in places like Madhu, Adampan, Pallamadhu and Nanaddan
	will help strengthen the economy of Tamil Eelam.
	
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 / Fax: 0181-470 8593)