Since Monday :

Over 100,000 civilians freed

Total influx from Tiger zone 170,000:

Ranil WIJAYAPALA and Rafik JALALDEEN

The Security Forces engaged in the largest ever hostage rescue mission in the No Fire Zone are not using heavy arms to retaliate to LTTE attacks. Over 100,000 civilians had been rescued by the Security Forces since last Monday.

Addressing the media yesterday at the MCNS, Military Spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said after closely monitoring the LTTE activities and civilian movements in the NFZ, troops entered the NFZ crushing the LTTE’s last earth bund on Monday to rescue trapped civilians.

Troops engaged in the biggest hostage rescue operation are making significant progress to liberate the entire NFZ.

However, he said that troops are using small arms to confront pockets of LTTE terrorists using heavy weapons targeting the Security Forces. “We have to use small arms for the safety of civilians,” he added. Around 170,000 civilians have so far sought protection with the Security Forces. He further said that over 3,000 LTTE cadres had surrendered since January 2009.

The 58 Division which completed capturing the Northern part of NFZ, shifted their operations to the south of the NFZ by yesterday morning to rescue the rest of the civilians forcefully kept at gun point as a human shield by the LTTE.

The 58 Division captured, six km stretch of NFZ in the Nothern part joining up with the 55 Division which was operating in the North of Puthumattalan by 7 am yesterday. Another 11 km stretch of land is to be captured from the LTTE and rescue the remaining civilians taken hostage by Tigers.

Whilst the 58 Division commenced the operations towards the South, the LTTE cadres armed with wooden poles and fire arms were seen pushing the civilians towards further south of the NFZ, UAV (Unmanned Areal Vehicle) visuals clearly showed the LTTE cadres trying to prevent civilians from leaving the area and pushing them towards the location the LTTE is having their hideouts and heavy weapons.

According to military officials more than 10,000 civilians are yet to be rescued from the LTTE grip. They have announced the civilians to use the A35 road as their escape route to military controlled area. Even by yesterday, thousands of civilians were waiting to enter military controlled area in Puthumattalan and Ampalawanpokkanai.

The military from hierarchy to ordinary soldier and the Government officials were busy providing the influx of civilians with fresh meals and water as they reach the military controlled area. President Mahinda Rajapaksa has personally dispatched more than 10,000 lunch packets to be given to civilians at Puthumattalan.

These packets were airlifted and at the time of this report they were being unloaded at Puthukudiyiruppu. There were three suicide attacks inside the NFZ on Monday, soon after the military breached the last earth bund of the LTTE, opening up the escape route for trapped civilians. Pottu Amman is reported to have personally dispatched these suicide cadres to target the fleeing civilians.

The civilians reaching the military controlled areas blame the LTTE for their plight and the harassment they were subjected to at the hands of the LTTE inside the NFZ.