Sri Lanka’s foreign ministry in a statement, released on Friday, said that the acting foreign secretary has “summoned” the Country Representative of the UNICEF in Colombo and expressed its serious concerns “on the participation of several members of its staff”.

“The Country Representative was requested to take appropriate action against the staff members who participated in the demonstration including the withdrawal of the concerned international staff and the termination of local staff,” the statement said. According to the statement, the UNICEF Country Representative had acknowledged the participation of some of its staff and assured that it would not be repeated in the future.
The UNICEF has also said that the UN Department of Human Resources was already carrying out “an inquiry” in this regard. Earlier this week, UNICEF had issued a press release on the safety and security of its work and its staff in the light of recent accusations levelled against the organisation by the Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna of being pro-rebels.

17 LTTE Sea Tigers killed
Colombo, PTI: At least 17 Tamil Tigers were killed in clashes with the Sri Lankan navy, which crushed a major seaborne LTTE attack in Mannar Island on Friday, the Navy said. “Sri Lanka Navy sailors successfully crushed an LTTE attack at the Mannar Island when the militants in six boats targeted the Pesalai Police post in Mannar,” Navy spokesperson Commander D K P Dassanayake said.

Navy ground troops and sea units simultaneously engaged the LTTE boats damaging one LTTE boat, he said, adding that the latest report showed that 17 LTTE cadres were killed in this confrontation. Tiger boats are now on retreat towards Vidattaltivu area (in northern Sri Lanka), he said. A pro-LTTE website confirmed the attack but did not provide details of casualties.

In a separate incident, the LTTE militants triggered off a claymore mine targeting army personnel who were conducting patrol at Varikuttoruwa in the Northern Vavuniya district on Friday morning, the army said.
The LTTE has fought the government forces since 1983 to create an independent homeland for ethnic minority Tamils.

More than 70,000 people have been killed in the conflict. The Tamil Tigers are among the early users of suicide bombing to attack political, economic and military targets. The rebels have carried out more than 240 suicide bombings.