LTTE conducted clearing operation in its area-Elilan

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 April 2005, 17:04 GMT]
Responding to a complaint with the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) that LTTE cadres had fired towards the SLA Mahindapura army camp which is located down south of Muttur area in the Trincomalee district Wednesday night, Mr.S.Elilan, LTTE Trincomalee district political head said " Our cadres conducted a clearing operation on receipt of information that armed cadres of an unidentified group had entered from the side of army camp into the no-man zone".

Mr.Elilan dismissed the claim by SLA that "several rounds of ammunition fired were seen passing over the Mahindapura army camp was not true as the clearing operation conducted was confined to our controlled area."

Earlier the SLA media spokesman alleged that LTTE's firing towards the army camp was a serious violation of the ceasefire agreement.

On the 8 April early morning a gang of unidentified armed men in army uniform had attacked the LTTE sentry located about 500 meters from the Mahindapura army camp in the LTTE controlled area in Poonagar in the Eachchilampathu division killing a LTTE helper and injuring another. This incident took place three days after Mr.Elilan had lodged a complaint with the SLMM that he received information that Karuna cadres had been given shelter in army camps close to this area, sources said.