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We are gaining ground in Muhamalai, says Army

COLOMBO: The Sri Lankan military on Tuesday claimed to have captured the highly-fortified LTTE’s second line of defence at Muhamalai, at the mouth of Jaffna Peninsula, amid continuing battles in the remaining bases of the LTTE in Kilinochchi district and the Mullathivu jungles.

The Defence Ministry said here in a “swift incursion” the forces succeeded in gaining around 500 metres from the LTTE in Muhamalai. “LTTE terrorists were caught in total disarray following concentrated infantry assaults backed by heavy artillery attacks which left scores of terrorists killed and many others wounded,” the Ministry said.

It added that troops had seized control of the entire LTTE defence line north of the A-9 main road while fighting still continued to the south. “Terrorists have withdrawn further southeast after receiving heavy beating.”

It claimed that exodus of civilians from LTTE-controlled areas continued as a result of the rising agitation against “LTTE oppression,” especially in Mullathivu district.

In Colombo, the police said more than 29,000 people from the northern, eastern and the central provinces — living in the western province for employment and business activities — registered themselves under a programme initiated by the Civil Community Police.

Police spokesperson Ranjith Gunasekara said 100 men from the north and east who failed to establish their identities were detained for questioning.

This is the second head count by the police of people from the north and east living in and around Colombo on the ground that it is necessary to ensure security of the civilian population.

In another development, President Mahindra Rajapaksa condemned the attack on the Sirasa media complex in Depanama, Pannipitiya, on Monday night and ordered a full investigation into the incident.

Journalists in the national capital held a demonstration against the attack on the media complex of the Sirasa group by unidentified persons and demanded protection for journalists.

Separately, in its first formal response the LTTE described the loss of Kilinochichi as an “insignificant setback in the context of the liberation struggle.” In an interview with the pro-LTTE TamilNet, LTTE political head B. Nadesan claimed that Kilinochchi was where the military had “suffered previous historic debacles”.

He told the website that Tamil people’s support had always been LTTE’s strength, and with the “moral backing of the global Tamil community” the movement will surmount current and future challenges.

“We have taken forward our struggle for more than 30 years, solely relying on the support of our people,” he said and reiterated that the Tigers were spearheading the Tamil struggle, which was based on legitimate political aspirations as defined by the democratic mandate in the elections of 1977.

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