Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission:

Forces Commanders describe LTTE modus operandi

Chaminda Perera

The Three Forces commanders and Field Commanders of the Sri Lanka Army in an elaborative presentation before the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission yesterday described the modus operandi of the LTTE to counter pressure exerted by the Security Forces and the strategy adopted by the Forces to annihilate them.

Army Commander Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya said the ICRC was present in the areas during the final stages of the humanitarian operation and no complaint was received from them against the Security Forces who were engaged in liberating the Tamils from the LTTE grip.

He stressed that the Sri Lanka Army has not occupied in private lands or houses except in the Jaffna district. Lt Gen Jayasuriya said they cannot find bare lands or vacant buildings in the Jaffna peninsula and the Army has been left with no other option than to occupying the State buildings and private houses.

He said the SLA pays due rents regularly to the owners. Jayasuriya said the Sri Lanka Army has made a significant contribution for the construction of houses in the war torn districts.

He said the Security Forces have built more than 760 houses in the Jaffna district and the project was funded by the SLA personnel themselves. Commander Jayasuriya stressed that hardly earned peace needs to be consolidated. He said the number of Army personnel deployed in the North would be reduced soon. He added that the Police will be deployed in the areas where the Sri Lanka Army is in presence.

Commander Jayasuriya added that a significant number of troops would be stationed in every district.

He said the Sri Lanka Army is fully-involved in the reconstruction activities in the North. "We are fully-involved in the reconstruction of tanks, bridges in the North," he added.

He said the Sri Lanka Army resorted to a strategy to approach the LTTE terrorists who were confined to a small pocket of land from two fronts. He added that this strategy resulted in LTTE firing towards the Security Forces while the civilians who were under the grip of LTTE was escaping from behind. These civilians were shot at by the LTTE, he added.

Navy Commander Vice Admiral Tisara Samarasinghe, Chief of Defence Staff and Air Force Commander Roshan Gunathilake described the role of Navy and the Air Force in eradicating terrorism.