2ND LEAD

Sri Lanka masses troops, bombardment continues

[TamilNet, Saturday, 29 July 2006, 16:50 GMT]
As thousands of Sri Lankan troops were moved to Kallaru junction ahead of a threatened offensive, Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Kfir jets Saturday flew three bombing sorties over the Mavilaru area in Eachchilampathu division south of Trincomalee district. Sri Lanka Army (SLA) continued shelling of the area as Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army, Major General Nanda Mallawarachchi, visited Kallaru area.

Sri Lankan military sources in Colombo said air strike is being continued in Mavilaru area to prepare the ground to move troops by land to re-open the closed sluice gate of Mavilaru.

SLAF Kfir jets bombed Mavilaru area three times Saturday at 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

Meanwhile, Ven. Athureliya Ratana Thera, parliamentary group leader of the all monks' Sinhala nationalist party, Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), continued his agitation at Kallaru junction with the support of Sinhala colonists.

Joined by supporters, Athureliya Thera Saturday morning attempted to walk towards the Mavilaru area but later abandoned the attempt on the advice of army officials. Major General Nanda Mallawarachchi met the protestors at Kallaru.

Keheliya Rambukwella, Sri Lankan Minister and Defence Ministry spokesman told Colombo media that his government would not yield to any condition put forward by the LTTE through the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM).