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In control, says Sri Lankan Army

B. Muralidhar Reddy

COLOMBO: Amid assertions by the Army that it is determined to neutralise the LTTE base in Sampoor in the east, the military on Thursday claimed to have established complete control over the Tiger base in Kaddaparichchan to the South of Trincomalee.

The Army and the LTTE are engaged in intense fight for over four days now for the control of the Tiger-held Sampoor. The Government believes that the LTTE offensive in Trincomalee is being directed from the Sampoor base and it is necessary to destroy it to secure the Trincomalee naval base.

A statement by the military said troops were continuing with their operations.

Search operations

The military said the search and clear operations would continue until the troops ensure that LTTE would not use the area as a launch pad for artillery and mortar attack.

"In April 2003, the Navy brought the LTTE build-up in the south of Trincomalee to the notice of Government authorities and the LTTE went on establishing new camps after the signing of the Ceasefire Agreement." Implied in it was the suggestion that the than Government ignored the warning. The U.N. Emergency Relief Co-Coordinator Jan Egeland has said the conflict has deepened while all eyes were on Lebanon. He said $37.5 million was needed to meet the needs of 220,000 newly displaced people.

"However, it was unacceptable that the Government had not provided any explanation regarding the execution of 17 humanitarian workers on 5 August, and humanitarian assistance could not continue, unless the people responsible for those actions were held accountable," he said in New York.

Serious exception

Sri Lanka took serious exception to the reported remarks by Norwegian Special Envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer that President Mahinda Rajapakse's scheduled meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair is "presumably an attempt to secure India's support in favour of Sri Lanka's policy."

Defence spokesman and Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said the President was on a "private" visit though the situation back home was bound to figure in his talks with Mr. Blair.

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