Large weapons haul recovered

On information provided by LTTEers:

Rafik JALALDEEN

Police unearthed a large stock of arms and ammunition from Vellaimullivaikkal on information provided by LTTE cadres, police spokesman Senior DIG Nimal Mediwake said.

He said two LTTE suspects under police custody had divulged the information of arms and weapons hidden in Vellaimullivaikkal. Military Spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said Task Force VIII launched a substantial search operation in Puthukudiyiruppu and Sugandipuram areas on Wednesday and recovered a haul of arms.

Police uncovered 18 T56 assault rifles, three dismantled T56 rifles, 8,000 T56 ammunition, three T56 magazines, four 0.22 weapons, a T81 rifle, three snipers, two 97 type weapons, a female suicide kit, a claymore mine weighing 15kg, six claymore stands, seven hand grenades produced by the LTTE, a body part of a 12.7mm barrel, an MPMG body group, 5,000 of 5.56mm ammunition, 4,600 MPMG ammunition, 425 of 12.7mm ammunition, 140 of 17.5mm ammunition, 32 of 9mm pistol ammunition and a 40mm grenade launcher bullet. Troops uncovered 200 GPMG ammunition, an FNC weapon, 134 FNC ammunition, two FNC magazines, 83 AP mines, an MPMG body part, 34 of 29.5 MT gas cylinder, 150 of 12.5 MT gas cylinder and five of 2.5 MT gas cylinder.