Largest arms cache found in Thoppigala

Rafik Jalaldeen

Narakamulla: Security forces yesterday seized a massive cache of arms left by LTTE cadres fleeing Thoppigala,including an Anti Aircraft missile at Aliya Ode in Narakamulla.

The detection was made while troops were engaged in search operations as part of their humanitarian mission in the East, the Media Centre for the National Security said.

“The fleeing Tigers had carefully dumped a huge stock of arms and weapons in Thihilaweddi, Aliya Ode, Motagala and Narakamulla area”, the MCNS spokesman said.

The massive recovery of arms and ammunition included an anti air craft missile, a surface to air missile and 200kg TNT, 61kg C4 explosives, seven 81mm mortars, two 82mm mortars, 27 heavy machine guns, 20 RPGs, 172 T56, two 40mm grenade launchers, 59 claymore mines, 1,150 mortar bombs(60mm, 81mm and 82mm), five pressure mines, 64 anti personnel mines, 85 Bangalore torpedo, 50m detonator code, 50m safety cord, three GPS and 2,000 T56 rounds.