LTTE driven out from East - Governor

by Ananth Palakidnar

The Governor of the Eastern Province, Rear Admiral Mohan Wijewickrema said that the LTTE has been driven out from all its strategic bases and camps in the Eastern Province and with the fall of Thoppigala, the entire region would be cleared of the LTTE presence.

"The armed forces are going ahead with their operations in the Thoppigala jungles in a remarkable manner. With the LTTE struggling to get the logistic support the fall of Thoppigala is imminent," Admiral Wijewickrema said.

The Governor told the Sunday Observer that the LTTE was now weakened in the Eastern Province and the resettlement of civilians in the areas liberated from the LTTE was carried out satisfactorily.

"It is encouraging to see the support from the civilians in the Eastern province in stabilising the civil administration in the region. They are providing vital information to find the lethal items hidden by the LTTE. The armed forces have seized a large amount of claymore-mines and various other deadly items from various places in the East. It would be difficult for the LTTE to maintain its strength in the future with no place for the organisation to hide in a big way and operate," Admiral Wijewickrema said.

He also pointed out that by the end of July the entire Eastern region would be cleared of the LTTE presence and the possibility of a fresh Provincial administration could be explored.

According to the Governor, the resettlement of the Internally Displaced Persons is carried out effectively with ninety percent of civilians who had fled their homes in the early part of this year due to clashes that had broken out in LTTE held areas. "With the LTTE being driven out from the places it controlled, civil administration is successfully implemented in those places," he said.

He said though the Armed Forces have succeeded in driving out the LTTE in the East, security measures will in no way be relaxed as the terrorist outfit is capable of hit and run tactics.

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