No special op in East

Sandasen MARASINGHE

There is no special operation in the Eastern Province, Military and Police spokesmen said. Military spokesman Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasuriya said if there was any search, it was an internal security operation conducted to assist the Police only at their request.

He said such internal security operations are conducted in all parts of the country. “No additional troops are deployed in these functions,” Brigadier Wanigasuriya said.

Brigadier Wanigasuriya said such an operation was conducted in Wanathamulla recently.

He explained that during such an operation, criminals would be arrested and legal action taken against them.

He said if ex-LTTE cadres, who had not gone through government rehabilitation programmes were found, they would be directed to the Director General of Rehabilitation to de-radicalise the radicalised persons by terrorists, by means of a rehabilitation programme.

“During such a programme, they are given spiritual training and vocational training if they choose.”

He said the same is done in all parts of the country and not peculiar to the Eastern Province.

The military spokesman said an Army anywhere in the world is designed to conduct three types of operations.

“They are: general war, operations to counter terrorism and internal security operations. Of them, internal security operations are aimed to ensure normality, security and peaceful living of the people but on the request of the Police.”

Police spokesman SP Ajith Rohana said he did not know of any such major operation being conducted in the Eastern region, according to his knowledge.