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LTTE "nerve centre" captured

B. Muralidhar Reddy

COLOMBO: The Sri Lanka military on Wednesday claimed to have captured Kokkadicholai, one of the "nerve centres" of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam's (LTTE), to the south of Batticaloa in the east.

A statement by the military said troops also seized a large number of mines, improvised explosive devices, guns and other weapons left behind by fleeing Tiger cadres in the face of advancing troops.

"Troops now consolidating the surrounding areas came across an air-conditioned, luxurious LTTE conference hall with most modern facilities, which was built in secrecy and used as their main centre of activities. This huge LTTE conference hall that would have cost millions, contains a spacious auditorium, air-conditioned bedrooms, electricity-run kitchen units, pantries, washrooms and other modern facilities", it said.

An LTTE structure near Kokkadicholai junction for production of liquor too fell into the hands of the advancing troops.

The military said the Tigers had been using the Kokkadicholai area to launch artillery attacks, including the recent one on diplomats and Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe when they landed in Weber Stadium in Batticaloa town.

"With the fall of Kokkadicholai, troops have regained the control in the areas to the south and west of Batticaloa town and surrounding areas".

Separately, TamilNet claimed that Tiger forces thwarted a pre-dawn attempt by the army and cadres of the "Col." Karuna group to advance into Koduvamadu area in the LTTE-held territory in Batticaloa.

It said the LTTE recovered the bodies of two Karuna group members killed in the firefight, besides eight rifles.

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