Police believe that the bomb was planted in the office earlier and exploded by a remote-controlled device. Despite the recent feuding between the PLOTE and TELO, police suspect LTTE for the attack. Mr Manikkadasan was accused of carrying out assassinations and Amnesty International says that the Lucky House camp is used as a torture centre.
Although the Army has extended its hold over territory far beyond Vavuniya, the Tigers have succeeded in penetrating defences in many areas. The situation in the district is increasingly becoming volatile. On 4 August, a military truck was blasted at Vepankulam, with a remote-controlled bomb, killing eight police Special Task Force (STF) members. Sixteen were wounded.
Two days later, six soldiers, including an officer, were injured by a claymore mine at Pattanichchi Puliyankulam. Following the attack, the STF fired indiscriminately killing B Sakthivel, 43, and wounding two other civilians. The STF also entered a TELO camp nearby, shot and injured four cadre. Eleven soldiers died and 11 others were wounded in another landmine attack at Navavi, west of Omanthai on 18 August.
A child was killed and two other children were wounded in police retaliation after a Tiger attack on a police post at Vepankulam on 25 August. Following the incident, the STF burned another TELO camp at Ukkulankulam. They also shot and injured five TELO cadre.
Another mine killed Police Inspector Gunatilleke and four policemen at Cheddikulam on 31 August. Six others, including three civilians were wounded. After the incident, the police shot dead a member of Tamil group EPRLF and arrested another cadre.
In recent months, TELO have been accused of supporting the LTTE. The Tamil militant groups TELO and PLOTE were in the forefront of the Army’s defence strategy for Vavuniya. But infighting and doubts over their allegiance have introduced a new problem for the military. TELO leaders deny the charge and warn that further attacks may force them to resume armed opposition to the government.