Security Forces consolidate positions in Muhamalai, Kilaly

Ranil Wijayapala

JAFFNA: After ten days of intense fighting, the Security Forces yesterday further consolidated their positions in Muhamalai and Kilaly Forward Defence Lines in Jaffna as the intensity of the LTTE artillery and mortar fire eased yesterday consequent to limited operations conducted by the Air Force over the weekend taking on identified LTTE targets.

The Air Force carried out limited operations over the weekend and engaged LTTE artillery gun positions in Pooneryn effectively destroying a number of their artillery gun positions, military sources said.

A spokesman for the Media Centre for National Security told the Daily News that except for intermittent artillery and mortar fire the situation remained relatively calm in the area.

"Troops carried out clearing operations in Muhamalai and Kilaly while consolidating their defences in the Muhamalai and Kilaly FDLs", the spokesman added.

Meanwhile, the curfew imposed in the Jaffna Peninsula was relaxed yesterday too, from 9 am to 2 pm in the Walikamam and Tennemarachchi areas and from 12 noon to 5 pm in the Walikamam area for the convenience of the people to attend to their daily needs.

The Security Forces also opened the Jaffna-Kandy A-9 road from the Omanthai entry-exit point for the convenience of the people who were trapped in the uncleared areas since the closure of the road to proceed towards the cleared areas in Vavuniya. "The road was opened for traffic from 11 am yesterday and according to reports 243 people including a number of foreigners crossed to the cleared areas by yesterday evening", the spokesman added. In addition 57 vehicles have also proceeded towards cleared areas through Omanthai entry-exit point.

The Security Forces last Friday allowed people who were stranded in Vavuniya for several days to proceed towards the uncleared areas through the Omanthai entry exit-point on humanitarian grounds.