SLA hands over houses to civilians in Thenmaradchchi

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 30 December 2003, 18:02 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Tuesday handed over six houses to civilians, which are located along the Varani-Vembirai road, close to the Vembirai junction in Manthuvil west in the Thenmaradchchi division in Jaffna district, civil sources said. SLA soldiers have been occupying these houses since 2000 when the SLA launched a military operation in Thenmaradchchi division.

However, the army soldiers who left the six houses have now established a new camp close to the Vembirai Hindu cemetery, civil sources said.

A team of army officials arrived at the site Tuesday afternoon where the six houses are located and handed over the houses to their owners.

Army officials said they have released the agricultural land close by which they had used as playground since 2000. A road located in Manthuvil south areawas also released for the use of public from Tuesday, sources said.

Owners of the released houses said when they took over their properties from the army, the houses were without doors and window frames and other valuable articles.

Army personnel had used two wells, which the owners used for drinking water, as their latrines, the owners said.