Troops sever Tiger links to Nachchikuda

Ranil Wijayapala

Nachchikuda: Troops attached to 58 Division in the north of Nachchikuda yesterday captured two strategically important junctions on the 12th and 16th mile posts on the Mannar-Pooneryn A-32 road, cutting off LTTE links with the now isolated Nachchikuda with Sea Tiger base in Vallaipadu, Military sources told the Daily News last night.

Troops operating north of Nachchikuda on the A-32 road captured the four way junction on the 16th mile post last afternoon marking a major breakthrough in the process of isolating Nachchikuda, which is the sole fishing village now left under the control of the LTTE on the Western coast.

“With the capture of the four-way junction troops are controlling four prominent roads leading to Nachchikuda towards South, Pooneryn towards North, Vallaipadu towards West and Vannerikulam towards East,” the sources added.

Troops are now controlling a more than six Kilometre stretch on the A-32 road in the North of Nachchikuda from the 16th mile post to the 12th mile post, sources added.

“The entire 58 Division front from A-32 road to Kunchikulam advanced more than one kilometre yesterday alone,” the sources added.

“With yesterday’s moves LTTE operations are severely threatened in Nachchikuda and Jayapuram,” sources further added.

Troops of the 57 division also continued their attrition on the LTTE on the Kilinochchi south front and in Akkarayan in the southwest of Kilinochchi confronting the LTTE and inflicting heavy casualties among them, the sources added.