Killinochchi - The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) launched its first ever students counseling services to deal with the student’s traumas due to the ongoing escalated war between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan Security Forces(SF) in and around Vanni area.

A Tamil civilian was killed when an armored vehicle of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) knocked him down on the eve of Tamil-Sinhala New Year Day. The victim Kaalimuththu Ledchumanan, 44, of Paththiniyaar Makizhangku'lam was cycling towards home Sunday afternoon around 1:00 p.m. along A-9 highway from Thaandikul'am when the armored vehicle knocked him down fatally, media sources said.

Two home guards of the Sri Lankan Civil Volunteer Force were injured in a claymore mine explosion Tuesday morning around 7.30 am in Kebithigollewa. The injured were first admitted to the Kebithigollewa hospital and then transferred to Anuradhapura general hospital, Police said.

Concluding that to successfully engage in peace process the facilitator needs to have "a thick skin, limitless patience, and a long perspective," Norwegian Special Envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer, in a "Human Values" conference in Oslo on April 10-11, outlined Norway's history of peace-making in Asian countries, and said, Norwegian peace diplomacy is anchored in the United Nations, Norway will engage only on the invitation of the protagonists, and that Norway will always uphold and defend the primacy of international law.

Lt.Col.Jagath Ratnayake, Commander of the 4th Gemunu Watch division of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) responsible for the Forward Defense Lines (FDLs) at Muhamaalai was seriously injured by sniper fire of the Liberation Tigers, Sinhala daily Lankadeepa reported. The Commander was first transported by Military helicopter to Palaali Military Hospital, and later transferred to Colombo National Hospital, according to the same paper.