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Vital Jaffna peninsula link road reopened

COLOMBO: The Sri Lankan military on Monday reopened the A9 highway, the only road linking Jaffna peninsula to the rest of the island, for military traffic.

The highway was shutdown by the government in October 2006 on the plea that it had become a “cash cow” for the LTTE. The Tigers controlled the highway from Omanthai onwards and collected taxes on goods and services.

After the fall of the Elephant Pass a few weeks ago and a series of other territorial losses in the north, the Tigers also lost control of the highway.

It is after a gap of 24 years that the highway is being re-opened for military traffic.

The government of Mahinda Rajapaksa has promised to open the highway for civilians soon. At present, those in Jaffna peninsula have to use either the sea or the air route to reach other parts of the island.

The Defence Ministry said two brief military ceremonies in Anuradhapura, Omanthai in Vavuniya and Elephant Pass in Jaffna marked the opening ceremony.

It said two convoys of the Army troopers exchanged greetings as part of the ceremony.

The A9 highway from Omanthai to Kilinochchi was reopened after the government and the LTTE signed the Norwegian-brokered 2002 ceasefire agreement.

Separately, the military claimed it had found “several recent photographs and video footage” of meetings between LTTE leaders and some Indian politicians in a building which was earlier occupied by the LTTE.

The Defence Ministry said the photographs and videos were discovered on Sunday during clearing operations at the captured LTTE satellite communication centre in Puthukkudiyiruppu West.

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