Security forces re-capture Mutur west

Government forces yesterday re-captured areas west of Mutur, where LTTE activities were confined to since the military regained control of Sampur last Month.A senior military official in the area said following yesterday’s military operation, the troops would be able to guarantee the full safety of the civilians living in Kinniya and its suburbs up to Mutur. “Now the road from Kinniya to Mutur is completely secure and people would be able to move freely,” he said.The official said the troops were able to drive away the Tigers, who were operating in Kandalkadu, Gange, Manirasakulam, Ralkuli and Upparu areas as small groups. Military spokesman Prasad Samarasinghe told the Daily Mirror yesterday evening that Army ground troops were compelled to capture these areas to neutralize the threat posed by the LTTE .

He said there were intelligence and other reliable reports that the LTTE had intensified its activities in the last few days west of Mutur.“Tigers were engaged in constructing new bunkers and camps west of Mutur posing a threat to the Trincomalee Harbour. These areas had been right throughout under the control of the Security Forces,” the Brigadier said.Meanwhile, the military yesterday said eleven bodies of the army were handed over to the military through the ICRC.Brigadier Samarasinghe said they were awaiting a response from the SLMM and the ICRC to the request to secure the release of a captured soldier by the LTTE.Denying allegations by LTTE political head S.P. Thamilchelvan that the Army had used ‘paramilitary’ cadres in its offensive against the LTTE, the Brigadier said “troops defended a major attack by the Tigers on the Mankerni FDL on Friday morning.

We never used any outside personnel for the defensive operation.”“This is yet another attempt by the LTTE to cover up their failure to capture the Mankerni area,” he said.The military spokesman also said that the Army had already handed over more than 10 bodies of LTTE cadres to the Valachchenai hospital on Saturday.‘Karuna’ spokesman Thuyavan meanwhile said bodies of 12 LTTE cadres killed on Friday were handed over to the Valachchenai hospital.Mr. Thuyavan said the 12 bodies were some of the LTTE bodies in the possession of the ‘Karuna’ faction, after a major assault by the breakaway LTTE group, allegedly killing more than 40 LTTE cadres while losing eight of its own.Meanwhile, the military said that thousands of civilians in uncleared areas were reportedly waiting to cross into the cleared areas, while yesterday evening alone more than 200 civilians crossed into the cleared area in Welikanda.Brigadier Samarasinghe said action had been taken with the assistance of the Government Agents in the area to provide shelter and food to those who have come to the cleared areas.”