Views on Thoppigala victory

Tribute to Security Forces - President, Mahinda Rajapaksa

"I extend the State honour and warm wishes to the Armed Forces, Special Task Force and Police for the victory they achieved in liberating "Thoppigala", the last LTTE terrorist stronghold in the Eastern province. The brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the battlefront will live in the hearts and minds of people of this country forever."

A thick jungle - UNP leader, Ranil Wickremesinghe

There is nothing for the hue and cry about "Thoppigala" as it is a jungle in the Eastern Province. During the UNP government in 1977 a part of this jungle was cleared for the Mahaweli project and the rest of it was left for animals. So what is the point of using the Armed Forces to capture an abandoned jungle in the Eastern Province.

Tigers live in jungles - Douglas Devananda

The LTTE is a terrorist organisation and the LTTE cannot put up camps in an open theatre. The LTTE camps, bunkers, training centres, hospitals and armed stock piles were always in the jungle where Thoppigala was the base of the LTTE in the Eastern Province. The liberation of Thoppigala by the Armed Forces from the LTTE was a great victory.

'A great victory' - Army Commander, Sarath Fonseka

The liberation of "Thoppigala", the last stronghold of LTTE terrorists was a great victory. It was the main base of the LTTE in the Eastern Province for the past 15 years. The victory achieved by the Armed Forces will be a great relief to the people in the area and now they can live in peace without fear.

Heroic victory - JVP propaganda Secretary, Wimal Weerawansa

The capture of Thoppigala and liberating the Eastern Province from the LTTE terrorists by the Armed Forces was a heroic victory to the peace-loving people in this country. People who love this country will never undermine the brave victory achieved by our Armed Forces against the LTTE terrorists in the Eastern Province.