COLOMBO: The Security Forces have achieved a major victory taking control of the entire East, barring a 140 square kilometre area of the Thoppigala jungle, from the clutches of the LTTE and liberating the people from terror, a Government spokesman said yesterday.
Troops pursuing their humanitarian mission were not hampered by any political interference or agenda in accomplishing their mission in liberating the East from the clutches of the LTTE, Director General of the Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) Lakshman Hulugalle said.
“There was no political interference in this mission. On the contrary, the brave soldiers were given the right political leadership which made them take full control of the A5 and a 2,551 square kilometre land mass in the East,” he said.
Addressing a media briefing at the MCNS yesterday, the MCNS Director General said the A5 road is completely under the control of the Security Forces. This is a major victory achieved since 1993.
The Security Forces were engaged in the humanitarian mission to liberate civilians from the LTTE in the uncleared areas in the East.
“Certain media had interpreted this humanitarian mission in different ways. The fact is that the Security Forces engaged in the humanitarian mission since the LTTE abused the CFA and attacked the Security Forces and civilians,” he added.
“The Security Forces are competent and skilled personnel and they are engaged in a humanitarian mission to liberate the civilians from the LTTE. They did this without considering any ethnic differences. Their morale is high due to the right leadership.”
The success of the military and humanitarian mission since July stands as testimony to the fact that there was no hidden agenda behind these missions as charged by some politicians, Military Spokesman Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe said.
“The troops received excellent leadership from President Mahinda Rajapaksa as Commander-in-Chief and from Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa who has vast experience in the defence field. The troops are given ample moral support together with the necessary resources to accomplish their mission,” Brigadier Samarasinghe remarked.
The Brigadier said the President has granted the Security Forces required freedom to make independent decisions on military matters. The freedom to carry out independent decisions has been ensured by the Defence Secretary.
The three Forces Commanders, the Inspector General Police and STF also contributed their share in the success achieved in liberating people from the LTTE clutches.
He said that the army gained a major victory by taking full control of the 41 km A5 Badulla- Maha Oya - Chenkalady road on Wednesday confining the LTTE to around 140 square kilometres in Thoppigala jungles.
“From intercepted Tiger communications it is revealed that around 300 to 350 LTTE cadres are trapped inside the Thoppigala jungles without food or water. We ask them to surrender to the Security Forces,” he added.
With the capture of the A-5 road, around 178,000 civilians have arrived in the Government controlled areas in Trincomalee, Ampara and Batticaloa districts except Thoppigala.
The Brigadier emphasized that the humanitarian mission was started by the Security Forces on February 24 to liberate Batticaloa South, West and South of Thoppigala general area. The troops have so far cleared around 700 square kilometres.
With this victory the Security Forces have liberated civilians settlement such as Koduvamadu, Thamparaveli, Pankudaveli, Illupayadichenai and Karadiyanaru South of the A-5 road in Batticaloa district enabling civil administration to be established.
The Government with the assistance of the Security Forces and NGOs have completed the resettlement of IDPs in Vakarai. The Troops are also engaged in de-mining the newly liberated areas south of Batticaloa to resettle the IDPs. He said that the humanitarian mission launched by the Security Forces following the closure of the Mavil Aru anicut last July has achieved great success with consecutive victories at Mavil Aru, Sampur, Verugal, Kadiraveli, Palchenai, Vakarai, Panichchenkerni, Kaddamurivukulam and south of the A-5 Maha Oya Chenkalady road.
Around 1,175 LTTE cadres were killed and several others injured in the campaign by the Security Forces since July 2006 while 98 Security Forces personnel were killed and two are missing, the Brigadier said.
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