Army gains full control of A-5 after 14 years.

The security forces have gained full control of the 41 km A-5 Badulla - Maha Oya – Chenkaladdy road this morning, following a major military and humanitarian victory yesterday.

"Hereafter this vital A-5 road will be completely free of terrorist threats enabling civilians to move about freely for their day to-day activities as was the practice before the LTTE infiltrated those areas," Brig. Samarasinghe said.

Following the attacks the Security Forces have been able to confine the LTTE to around 150 square kilo meters in Thoppigala jungles. According to their estimations there are around 300 to 350 LTTE cadres trapped inside Thoppigala jungles.

According to the Security sources it is after 14 years that the Sri Lankan Army gained the full control of the A-5 road.

Clearing south of A-5 is a very significant military and humanitarian victory as the Security Forces have now driven the LTTE out of the East and brought all civilians in Trincomalee, Ampara and Batticaloa districts (except for Thoppigala) under the security forces denying the LTTE any control over them.

"With the capture of this road, the entire civilian population in the east is under Government control," military spokesman Prasad Samarasinghe said.

The humanitarian operation launched by the security forces on 24th February 2007 to liberate the Batticaloa south, west and south of Thoppigala general area has cleared 700 square kilometers so far.

With this victory troops have liberated civilian settlements like Koduvamadu, Thamparaveli, Pankudaveli, Illupayadichenai and Karadiyanaru south of the A-5 road in the Batticaloa district enabling civil administration to be established.

Driving the LTTE further North West of the A-5 has eliminated the LTTE threat on military detachments in the Batticaloa and Ampara area, defence analysts said.