In the most recent case, three teenage girls were abducted at Erakkandy, Kuchchaveli when they were on their way to a church on Monday (1). The parish priest of the church was forced to look on helplessly while the three girls were being abducted.

The LTTE had also abducted and held 7 Muslims from Mutur, Tricomalee and demanded 10,000 rupees for their release. The seven men were released after the 'ransom' money was paid.

The three teenage girls were identified as M.Renu Fareena (17), Valeuttu Erakkandy and P.Nilani (17). All three lived in the area. They were abducted by two LTTE cadres but the priest could not do anything but look on helplessly, Military Spokesman Brigadier R.M.D.Ratnayake said.

Reports from the north said, in the third week of July, the LTTE had abducted three teenage boys. Two of the boys were aged 13 and the other 15. They were identified as T.Madan and T.Judan of Market Road and M.Baskaran (15) from the Andankulam area of Chenkalady. All three children were attending school and the parents and next kin of these students had been threatened by the LTTE not to report the abductions, the spokesman said.

But the parents of the abducted girls had complained to the Kuchchaveli police about an hour after the abductions.

In another case, the LTTE aducted Felix M. Christian (15) a school boy of Murunkan, Christopher Vanaraj (14) of Kaluwankerni, Eravur who were both living in a refugee camp after the tsunami disaster. The two boys had gone out of the camp on Monday and were not seen after that. The residents believe they were abducted by the LTTE.

The spokesman said all these abductions have been reported to the SLMM.