Wanni mission on target - Defence Secretary

The humanitarian mission in the North is going according to plan, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said yesterday.

“We have cleared the major obstacles including the earth bunds the LTTE had built,” he told a gathering of senior media personnel. He said the Forces were aware that at one point the LTTE would muster their maximum resistance. The Forces also expected rain.

“We have to take opportunities. The Forces commanders are confident that their targets can be met.”

He said the recent visit to Russia by a defence delegation was very fruitful in terms of defence cooperation and intelligence sharing.

Speaking at the same gathering, Minister Douglas Devananda said many in Tamil Nadu did not know the ground realities in the Wanni. Although there is some support for the LTTE in Tamil Nadu, most leaders were not speaking on behalf of the LTTE.

“The LTTE is keeping the civilians in the Wanni by force, although the majority would like to cross over to the cleared areas.”

The EPDP plans to conduct a hartal on these issues, he added.