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Sri Lanka builds up troops in the east

B. Muralidhar Reddy

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka on Sunday said it had mobilised unspecified number of troops in the east to lift the blockade of a waterway purportedly imposed by the Tamil Tigers even as the LTTE alleged that a number of its troops had been killed in the continuing air raids by the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) since Wednesday.

Though reports of the actual ground situation in the north and east were sketchy, there were fears of further escalation of tensions and the tottering peace process. Decision by Finland and Denmark to pull out of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) before the September 1 deadline of the Tamil Tigers for the European Union (EU) monitors to quit has put a question mark on the future of the mission.

Policy Planning Minister and Defence Spokesperson, Keheliya Rambukwella told The Hindu that the Government was determined to end the water blockade imposed by the LTTE and said the military operations currently in progress have to be viewed in that perspective.

"The ground troops have almost reached the waterway whose sluice has been blocked by the LTTE. It is 10-minute walk from where the Sri Lankan Army personnel are situated. However, it might be hours before they actually reach the spot as the area is heavily mined and booby trooped," he said.

The Minister said early in the morning the SLAF conducted one sortie of air raid to provide cover for the advancing troops. The LTTE has alleged that the continuing air raids of last five days have been indiscriminate and resulted in several casualties.

Mr. Rambukwella insisted that the Government was only engaged in a "goodwill mission" to protect the interests of 15,000 people affected on account of denial of water by the LTTE and the latest operations do not signal return to a full-scale war.

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