All Tiger airstrips captured

Ranil Wijayapala

The 58 Division troops under the command of Brigadier Shavendra Silva operating in the North of Visuamadu yesterday captured another LTTE airstrip in Kariyalval South, believed to be the last airstrip under LTTE control, Military Spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said.

"With the capture of this airstrip the Security Forces have captured all seven airstrips maintained by the LTTE in Vanni," he added.

The two Kilometer long runway was located west of Sundarapuram, Thirivilaru, North East of Piramantharukulam, Puthukuduiruppu. "That was the famously known Puthukuduiruppu airstrip of the LTTE," he said.

Though the entire strip is about 2 km, the tarmac was only 350 meter in length and 50 meters in width according to the ground troops who launched a lightning attack before troops moved in there.

According to military sources the tarmac had been partitioned into sixteen sections beginning from 1-16, most probably to use it as a hangar after return on completion of clandestine aerial terrorist bombing operations.

Earlier troops captured five well-built runways and tarmacs in the Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts.

On January 16 troops captured a 1 km long LTTE runway East of Iranamadu tank bund. On January 15, troops captured one more LTTE tarmac 1,100 meters in length from the eastern side, parallel to the Iranamadu tank bund.

Task Force III troops on December 24, 2008 captured a 350 meter long LTTE runway in the Ampakamam North.

Troops of the 58 Division on November 20 captured a tarmac similar to an airstrip on Pooneryn-Paranthan road which could have been used by the LTTE as an airstrip.

One more tarmac belonging to the LTTE was also captured in Wannivilankulam about 7 km northwest of Mankulam on September 30, 2008. It was 500 meters in length.

One more well-built 2.5 km long LTTE runway with a few hangars was captured by the troops, from Mulliyavali North, about 5 kms west of Mullaitivu lagoon on September 15, 2008.