STF lays siege to LTTE's Thirukovil political office

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 June 2005, 13:27 GMT]
Sri Lankan Special Task Force (STF) soldiers were stopped from forcibly entering the Political office of the Liberation Tigers in Thirukkovil, Amparai at 12.00 PM Friday, by Political Head of LTTE Veeramunai Koddam Mr. Atheeswaran Master who demanded the presence of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) officials, LTTE officials said. STF soldiers kept the LTTE office under siege till 18.20 PM till SLMM officials arrived at the scene. Mr. Aleeswaran Master told TamilNet that harrassment by Security Forces to provoke the LTTE cadres is escalating in Batticaloa, Amparai districts and the situation is rapidly deteriorating.

As LTTE officials did not allow STF soldiers to enter the office, Sri Lankan Police was called.

A search operation was carried out by the Sri Lankan Police in the presence of SLMM members.

The police did not find any weapons at the LTTE office as charged by the STF, sources said.

Thambiluvil is located 72 km south of Batticaloa in Amparai.

Meanwhile, another LTTE office, 800 meters away was stoned around 2.30 PM by STF soldiers who also removed the fences around the office, sources added.