A-9 road under control of Security Forces - Army chief

by Shanika SRIYANANDA

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With the capturing of Kanakarayankulam, the 48 kilometre stretch of the A-9 Road (Jaffna-Kandy Road) which runs through the so called LTTE political capital - Kilinochchi, is now under the control of the Security Forces and it is now opened upto Kokavil. The Security Forces liberated this long strip of the A-9 upto Kokavil, 10 years since it fell to the LTTE in 1998.

According to Army Commander Lt. General Sarath Fonseka this was the first time that the Security Forces liberated the A-9 upto Kokavil and during the ‘Jayasikuru’ operation, the troops captured the stretch only upto A-9 Road upto Omanthai. This time the Forces have gone beyond.

The troops of the Task Force 2 who captured Pulliyankulam, the main town to the North of Omanthai, also captured Kanakarayankulam, and according to military sources, liberating of Mankulam, Pulliyankulam, and Kanakarayankulam will help civilians to cross to government controlled areas now.

The Army Commander told the Sunday Observer that this was the first time that Kokavil had fallen to the Security Forces and A-9 which was under the control of the LTTE since 1998 until the troops captured it this year.

“With the capturing of the A-9 upto Kokavil the troops can effectively dominate the areas South of Mankulam and the East of A-9”, the Army Chief echoed.

According to Lt. Gen. Fonseka, the LTTE would be virtually pushed to Oddusudan and it will facilitate the troops to reach the outskirts of Mullaithivu.

Over 20 per cent of the A-9, the main link and the shortest road link connected to Kandy and Jaffna was under the LTTE control and it was closed from 1994 to 2002 until it was opened during the peace talks between the Government and the LTTE Tigers. According to Defence Ministry sources, the LTTE earned a monthly income of Rs. 200 to Rs. 300 million by imposing heavy taxes on the civilians who were using the A-9 Road after it was opened during the Peace talks in 2002.

Meanwhile the LTTE is struggling desperately to survive with its shrinking domination of land of 800 kilometres and less than 2,500 cadres, the Armed Forces have planned to liberate the entire Wanni region before next June, said Lt. General Sarath Fonseka. Taking the war closer to an end, the troops are now in its momentum of military offensives to capture Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu. The sixth offensive Division in Wanni - Task Force 4 - will soon commence its offensives in the Mullaitivu front.

Over 50,000 soldiers belonging to six fronts - Task Force 1, 2, 3, and 4 and 57, 59 and 61 Divisions are in the forefront of the Wanni battle to liberate Wanni, he said.

Lt. General Fonseka said that troops were now on the Paranthan-Kilinochchi Western flank. He said that the troops after capturing Kokavil, Mankulam, Omanthai, Kumalamunei and Alampil are also dominating the jungles.

According to the Army Commander the troops which suffered due to heavy cyclonic monsoons during the past few weeks, have re-launched the offensives.

Lt. Gen. Fonseka said the LTTE controls only 150,000 people and even that too by force but over two million Tamils are with the government.