Task Force 8 stumble on jewellery bag

by Dhaneshi YATAWARA

During the present search and clearing operations conducted in the newly liberated areas troops attached to Task Force 8 recovered 1,040 large and small gold bangles and 20 other damaged gold bangles and pieces, Military Spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara said. There were 852 large sized gold bangles, 188 small sized bangles, 20 damaged bangles and 26 pieces of broken bangles.

The assortment of jewellery was recovered in a compound in the east of Vellamullivaikkal in the `No Fire Zone' where over 80,000 people were kept as human shield by the LTTE during their last days. The bag of jewellery was buried in a 4 - 5 deep ditch.

The recovery of the 130 mm artillery gun last week was significant among the haul of weapons recovered by the Task Force 8 commanded by Col. G.V. Ravipriya. Based on information gathered by the Sri Lanka Army Intelligence Officers based in Vavuniya the Task Force 8 recovered this heavy weapon from West of Sugandipuram located North of A35 road.

In another operation in Puthukuduirrippu East, the Task Force 8 recovered a haul of arms and ammunitions last week which included five claymore mines, each weighing 30 kilos and 150 mortar bombs (81 mm).The Army is conducting search and clear operations in the newly liberated areas at a rapid phase in order to make the area safe for development work and resettlement.