CLASSIFIED | POLITICS | TERRORISM | OPINION | VIEWS

SRI LANKA FORCES TAKE OVER ENTIRE MANNAR DISTRICT BLOCKING LTTE’S MAIN SUPPLY ROUTES TO WANNI

By Walter Jayawardhana

In a military victory described by analysts as the beginning of the end of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam’s grip over the two districts of the island nation’s Northern Province the Sri Lankan Armed forces completely overran all important military installations of the North Western Mannar District and took under their control 120 square kilometers of the area .

Military spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara said, “It is a significant victory. The troops shattered LTTE strongholds and took total control over the entire Mannar 'Rice Bowl' area this afternoon (June 29).”
He said The Giant Tank is also under the control of the troops. He added the LTTE camps fortified with strong bunkers at Manthottam, Aandankulam, Wellankulam, Aalankulam and Kuruveli stretching about 13 kilometres of the LTTE Forward Defence Line from Manthottam, are under the authority of the troops. The Brigadier said the LTTE terrorists had even lost the 13 kilometre stretch of the coast.

The capture of the area has also denied the LTTE 12km of the A-32 Mannar- Pooneryn main road, in addition to the Uyilankulama - Adampan and Uyilankulama - Andankulama main roads, considered to be LTTE's main supply routes from the North, he further pointed out.

The victory as described by the spokesman was preceded by the “liberation” of Periyamadhu area from LTTE on 26th June. According to Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara, the total area brought under control is approximately 120sq.kms, which mainly consists of the Island's most fertile paddy fields. In 1991, farmers have gathered, he said, a record-breaking paddy harvest from this area. He said that the famous 'Giants Tank' itself provides water to 153 small irrigation reservoirs in the area.
He said Manthai, Manthottam, Adampan, Pallekuli, Kurukkandalkulama, Vellankulama, Vadakkandal, Alankulama, Andankulama, Marattikannadi, Alakaddiveli, Parappakandal. Parappukadatan, Tenveddiyan, Minukkulama, Vilayankulama, Papamoddai, Odduppalan, Kuruvil- Sluice, Neduvarampu, Kannaputtukulama and Vannakulama, are in the hands of the security forces and they have consolidated their positions now.

“They are now poised,” he said, “within striking distances to LTTE's strategically important coastal stronghold in Veddithalthivu.”

This “significant victory” was made possible by the The Sri Lankan Army’s infantry, armory and artillery troops , with tactical fire support provided by the Sri Lanka Air Force helicopter gun-ships, Nanayakkara said.

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