Civilian influx

Rafik Jalaldeen

BATTICALOA: Over 189 Tamil civilians left their villages Kaddimirichchi Kulam and Kirimichchiya on Tuesday and sought shelter at the Punai and Marnkeni army camps due to threats from the LTTE cadres in their areas.

According to a spokesman for the Media Centre for the National Security the civilians who escaped from the areas told the field commanders of the Punai and Marnkeni bases that the LTTE cadres have occupied their villages in large numbers.

The civilians complained that "the villages have been converted into military zones with the LTTE terrorists building up bunkers and moving logistics to the villages. The daily life has halted".

The civilians who escaped from the area also said that they were forced to dig bunkers by the LTTE cadres, the spokesman added.

Around 189 civilians entered the Government controlled areas and 156 sought shelter at the Punai Army camp and 33 at the Marnkeni Army camps. Among them 23 were infants, the MCNS spokesman said.

The spokesman said that more civilians were expected to arrive to Government controlled areas in the coming days. The troops provide them with essential needs such as dry rations and shelter.