Army gains control of large LTTE areas

Friday, August 8 1997

Army gains control of large LTTE areas

PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

COLOMBO, Aug 7: The Sri Lankan army make significant military gains in its battle to take control of a strategic highway in the rebel-held northern Vanni, by linking two columns of the troops near Puliyankulam even as a soldier and four LTTE guerrillas were killed and 17 other injured.

Army sources said the linking of the column from north east Nedunkeni with main troops on the Jaffna highway near Puliyankulam would help the troops to seal a chunk of the area on the eastern side of the road and prevent LTTE to organise any major attacks in the area.

Already LTTE has attacked the area near northern Omanthai town twice disrupting the army's advance on the highway. The present link up would prevent the LTTE from attacking the troops on road from east where it has a strong presence, they said.

Announcing the linking of the two columns, an army spokesman told a press briefing here today that the troops were now one and half km from Puliyankulam, which the LTTE defended heavily so far.

He said one soldier was killed and 17 others were wounded during the fighting yesterday when troops began the operations to link up the columns. Four bodies of rebels were also recovered from the area, he said.

He also said that over 100 army deserters who failed to respond to the amnesty offer were arrested in the past one week after the army launched a crackdown to apprehend over 7000 deserters who continued to defy the calls to rejoin the army.

He said the army has provided the details of all the deserters to the police and those arrested would be made to face the court-martial proceedings. But those who want to rejoin could still do so by reporting to the nearest police station. Their absence would be treated as unauthorised leave, he said. The amnesty has ended on July 26 last.

In another development, the Sri Lankan government has announced setting up of a special high court to expedite the trial proceedings of hundreds of persons detained under prevention of terrorism act (PTA).