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We will leave no scope for LTTE revival, says Sri Lankan Army

- PHOTO: AFP

GROUND SITUATION: U.N. humanitarian chief John Holmes interacts with internally displaced Tamil civilians at a camp in Vavuniya on Monday. He also called on President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka on Monday said its security forces would leave no scope for the LTTE to revive.

The Defence Ministry said the forces would “in no form will leave a breather for the internationally banned terrorist outfit or its leaders who are much wanted for thousands of war crimes and crimes against humanity”.

It said the decision on combat operations reaching a conclusion was not in response to international pressure but solely timed with the success of the ongoing “worlds largest hostage rescue operation”.

Seperately, the Sri Lankan Navy said it thwarted an LTTE attack on ground troops in the seas off Mullaithivu on Friday killing four Sea Tiger cadre.

The Navy further said it maintained continuous surveillance and patrolling in the north-eastern seas. Naval fortifications had been tightened with four defence barriers.

The military said soldiers engaged in the hostage rescue mission had freed 3,141 more civilians. “Civilians have told the soldiers that the terrorists are now forcibly pushing the rest of the hostages to the Vellamullivaikkal area, where their leaders are currently hiding,” it said.

Citing accounts given by the civilians, the Defence Ministry said the Tiger cadre had intensified violence against civilians with a renewed hope of survival. It said troops continued their push towards the last LTTE hideout and said intercepted LTTE radio transmission revealed 12 terrorists had been killed and 27 others injured.

In a report, the pro-LTTE TamilNet charged that two Sri Lankan Air Force fighter-bombers bombed civilian targets in Mu’l’li-vaaykkaal after the announcement that forces would not deploy heavy weapons or carry out air attacks.

Meanwhile, UNICEF said 50 metric tonnes of airlifted emergency relief supplies landed in Colombo and the supplies would immediately be sent to northern Sri Lanka to meet the urgent needs of more than 1,15,000 displaced people.

The emergency airlift included nutritional supplies, water treatment units for safe water, oral rehydration salts, and medical supplies. An additional airlift will follow on Tuesday.

“Sri Lanka is facing a humanitarian crisis that requires a rapid response,” said UNICEF’s representative in Sri Lanka Philippe Duamelle. “We estimate that there are approximately a quarter of a million people who need help and they need it quickly.”

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