Troops regain Mannar Rice Bowl

120 Sq Km of fertile territory falls to the Army:

Ranil WIJAYAPALA in Mannar

MANNAR: The 58 Division of the Sri Lanka Army operating on the Mannar front yesterday successfully completed operation ‘Rice Bowl’ after capturing over 120 square kilometres including 105 square kilometres of the most fertile land in the country.

General Officer Commanding of the 58 Division Brigadier Shavendra de Silva told the Daily News that the troops attached to 58 Division completed this almost nine month long operation to secure the Mannar ‘Rice Bowl’ killing 2,058 Tiger Cadres and inflicting injuries on 1,208.

“The Mannar ‘Rice Bowl’ is one of the most fertile lands in the country which produced the biggest paddy harvest in 1991,” the Brigadier added.

With the capture of this entire ‘Rice Bowl’, troops have reached four kilometres South of Vedithalthivu the biggest Sea Tiger Base on the North Western coast.

According to Brigadier de Silva the completion of Operation ‘Rice Bowl’ also marked the liberation of 153 irrigation systems including tanks, canals and waterways fed by the 23 square kilometre Giant Tank.

The troops have been able to liberate populated areas in the Mannar district with the liberation of more than 20 civilian habitations. They include Manthai, Manthotta, Adampan Palakkuli, Karukkandalkulam, Vellankulam, Vaddakandal, Alamkulam,

Andankulam, Parappakadattan, Tenvedaiyan, Minnukulam, Uyilamkulam and Oddupalan.

“Troops of the 58 Division had to cross massive open areas across fallow paddy lands to capture some of the strategically important military bases like Andankulam and Parappakadattan,” the Brigadier explained.

It also marked the liberation of the Vyilamkulam-Andalankulam road connecting to the Mannar Pooneryn A-32 road at the 12th mile post and the Vyilamkulam - Adampan - Pappamoddai road used as the main supply routes to the LTTE operating in the Mannar ‘Rice Bowl’.

The completion of Operation ‘Rice Bowl’ has become a morale booster for the troops.

The soldiers attached to the 58 Division are further advancing towards the North after the successful completion of Operation Rice Bowl.