Sri Lanka's army commander, Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake has dismissed claims by the Inspector General Police that former LTTE cadres are responsible for the recent violent incidents in the North-East and asserted national security was not at risk.

Asked by The Sunday Island about the reports of 'LTTE re-emergence', he said, "You mentioned the word ‘LTTE’, I didn’t. I don’t like people saying ‘LTTE’ for every incident. My point is that it’s very easy to connect the LTTE whenever something happens, though it is far from the truth".

A woman at the forefront of the Mullaitivu families of the disappeared protest was assaulted by two men who also threatened her with death if she did not stop protesting, reports JDSLanka.

Mariyasuresh Easwary, one of the key figures of the Mullaitivu protest which passed 150 days recently, was approached near Theerthakarai cemetery in Mullaitivu, by two men on motorbikes while walking alone on Monday night.

A Tamil youth was arrested by Special Task Force troops in Jaffna for alleged links with the "Aava" criminal gang.

STF troops surrounded the home of the 21-year-old in Kokkuvil, arresting him in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

The youth has been handed over to Jaffna police for further investigation.

Sri Lanka's Minister for Industry and Commerce, Rishad Bathiudeen on Monday reassured local industries they would not be affected by the proposed Free Trade Agreement with china. 

"The FTA with China will be designed keeping the local industry concerns in mind," Mr Bathiudeen was quoted as saying by Colombo Gazette as saying. 

“We will not allow local industries and employment to be hit by any Free Trade Agreements,” he said, added that discussions would be held with local industry leaders before any FTA was signed. 

The Sri Lankan military has released 38 acres of private land in Kilinochchi back to the GA on Tuesday. 

The land in Karaichchi and Kandaavalai was illegally acquired by the military many years ago. 

Local officials are attempting to identify the rightful owners of the land, the Uthayan reports. 

Sri Lanka re-opened its customs office in the Northern Province this month, after 34 years of closure. 

The office was closed in 1983 due to the ethnic conflict. 

The opening ceremony at Kankasanthurai was attended by the Northern Province governor, Reginald Cooray, and the Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera, reported the Daily Mirror. 

The chief Buddhist monk of the Asgiriya Chapter said Sri Lanka’s president had agreed there was no need for the island to have a new constitution, according to a report in the Daily Mirror.

Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana met with former Sri Lankan Minister and National Freedom Front leader Wimal Weerawansa and told him that Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena shared his views on a new constitution.

The Chief Minister of the Northern Provincial Council called on the United Nations to have closer collaboration with the North-East, but stated that it could not come about “at the expense of being manipulated by the Central Government”.

The Sri Lankan government has announced that the former minister for law and order, who was forced to resign amidst investigations into an arms scandal, has now been appointed the new foreign minister.

Tamils in Batticaloa marked 11 years since the Sencholai Massacre on Monday, at an event remembering the victims and calling for justice.