THOUSANDS OF TROOPS REACH AT A SPOT ABOUT TEN MINUTES WALK AWAY FROM THE CLOSED SLUICE GATES OF THE IRRIGATION CHANNEL
(By Walter Jayawardhana)
Los Angeles:- Thousands of ground troops with air cover have reached at a spot about ten minutes walk under normal circumstances away from the closed irrigation channel in Mavil Aru by the terrorists of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said Minister Keheliya Rambukwella ,July 30, in Colombo.
Rambukwella, the Defence spokesman of Sri Lanka’s cabinet of ministers said he could not assess how long it would take to go the short distance to the sluice gates of the irrigation channel since the LTTE could have buried land mines, booby traps and other explosive devices like claymore mines on the way to the destination.
The minister said the Sri Lanka Air Force did only one bombing raid early in the morning at 6.30 to pound terrorist camps who could attack the ground forces reaching the closed sluice gates at Irugal Aru. The ground troops reportedly marched through thicket and jungle, few kilometers, to reach close to their destination. The Sri Lanka Army’s second in command Major General Nanda Mallawaarchchi in Mavil Aru instructing his troops showed how important this offensive was to the government.
The minister reemphasized that it was the inherent duty of a democratically elected sovereign state to protect more than 15, 000 farmers who would become mere refugees due to the terrorist act of a group like the LTTE who shut off the farmer’s life’s necessity, water to grow food and drink. He said this military offensive was aimed at relieving those citizens from agony.
Rambukwella said the ground troops reaching the water distributing sluice gates have to put up a defensive circle since one thousand feet in front of the place is open space and could easily be attacked by the LTTE terrorists easily.
The minister admitted that it was true the army used multi barrel rockets to clear the surrounding area of LTTE terrorists.
Asked why the Sri Lanka Air Force pounded the LTTE’s Thenaham Center North East of Batticaloa, the Minister said it was being used as a military center to send reinforcements to Mavil Aru blocked irrigation channel.
The LTTE’s political head S. Elilan has threatened that his group would retaliate fiercely if Sri Lanka troops entered their Mavil Aru area to open the sluice gates. He has said, "We would retaliate fiercely if Sri Lankan troopers enter our Mavilaru area. It will lead to serious consequence."
