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Devil’s Point sealed off

COLOMBO: The Sri Lankan military on Wednesday charged that even as its troops were getting closer to “their ultimate mission with increasing pace and vigour”, LTTE chief Velupillai Prabakaran has ordered his followers to prepare for counter-offensive using civilians as a shield.

The Defence Ministry said the troops were proceeding as per their plans despite cynicism expressed by some defence observers and political segments.

The Ministry claimed that the Army Task Force 1 spearheading at the West of the Kilinochchi frontage is just few km behind Pooneryn, the final destination to accomplish its immediate mission.

As per the Ministry, troops on Tuesday reached Pallavi and Kiranchi hamlets sealing off the strategically vital Devil’s Point. A 15-km-long land projection to the Indian Ocean, the point has been a safe heaven for the Sea Tigers .

It said the Task Force 1 troops heading for Pooneryn along the A-32 road (Mannar-Pooneryn) are now successfully negotiating the large marshlands in the South of Pooneryn.

Defence observers say once the B-69 at Nallur had been cut off, the remaining terrorists in Pooneryn, Alenken, Vallaipadu and Veravi will have either to surrender or meet the elite Rapid Action Boats squadron (RABS) of Navy.

“No land escape routes are available for the terrorists in these areas with the Army’s advance,” it said.

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