Troops liberate Pooneryn [November 15 2008]

The Security Forces liberated the LTTE stronghold of Pooneryn this morning, a top Defence Ministry official told the Observer Online a short-while ago. The troops are now consolidating their positions. Troops of Task Force 1 crossed through the unforgiving marsh lands Pooneryn and earlier positioned just 500 m behind the Pooneryn- Paranathan road (B-69) at an undisclosed location before entering Pooneryn this morning. Task Force 1 aims to liberate the northwestern coast of the island from Mannar to Pooneryn and open the land route of A32 to connect the Jaffna peninsula to the mainland.

The liberation of Pooneryn is considered as a major setback to the LTTE as it is a strategically important location which would enable the Security Forces to open a land supply route to Jaffna Peninsula after 20 years. Defence experts say strategically Pooneryn is more important that Killinochchi, which only carries a symbolic value.