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Colombo claims destruction of LTTE “operation centre”

COLOMBO: The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) on Saturday claimed to have destroyed an LTTE “operation centre” in Mannar district even as fierce fighting continued between the forces and the Tigers along the Forward Defence Lines.

A statement by the Defence Ministry said here that SLAF fighter jets launched fresh air strikes at an identified LTTE “operation centre”, in the south of Palampiddi, Mannar. “The target was identified as an LTTE operation coordinating centre. Pilots have confirmed that the LTTE facility was destroyed in the strike”, it said.

Separately, the military claimed continued influx of people in the LTTE-controlled areas into the government-held areas. As per the military, several families are held captive by the Tigers and are waiting for an opportunity to escape. It said on Saturday four civilians, three of whom from a single family, sought refuge at a check point at Pallimunai.

“They had fled the uncleared area and trekked 32 km for about 14 hours through a jungle. They had reached Pallimunai, passing Kondampiddi through Papamodgi forest, having left Vaddithalativue. The 30-tear-old daughter is a voluntary teacher attached to a government mixed school in Vaddithalativue. The LTTE had attempted to kidnap the female teacher several times”, the military said.

In a report posted on its website, the LTTE claimed that a school girl was injured in the military artillery fire from its Manalaru (Weli-oya) camp towards Thangapuram-Alampil in the Mullaithivu district on Thursday.

The Tigers said aerial bombing over Redbanna-Visuvamadu area of Mullaithivu district on Thursday injured five civilians who were walking on the road.

In another development, the Sri Lanka government has launched a special programme to enhance security in schools and it is to be implemented jointly by the National Cadet Corps and the Education Ministry under the direction of the Defence Ministry.

“Under the first two stages of this programme, awareness programmes were completed last year at provincial, zonal and division levels jointly by Provincial Education Department’s and Cadet Corps centres. The third stage of the programme involved the setting up security committees and awareness programmes on enhancing security precautions at schools”, the government said.

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