STF bans vehicles over Paddiruppu entry point in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 05 September 2006, 19:59 GMT]
The Sri Lankan counter insurgency Special Task Force (STF) personnel, manning the Kaluwanchikudy-Paddiruppu Bridge, a gateway to Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) controlled territory in Batticaloa district, on Tuesday, did not allow transport of vehicles through the entry point that was partly re-opened Saturday after 3 weeks.

Only Government officials, including Grama Niladhari officers and Samurdhi workers, were allowed from Sri Lanka Army (SLA) controlled areas to enter the Tiger territory.

Civilians from LTTE area were allowed to enter SLA areas.

However, STF personnel did not allow vehicles, including bicycles, to cross the bridge on Tuesday.

Pregnant mothers, students from LTTE controlled areas were not allowed to be transported in vehicles.

Government officials complained of difficulties caused by the ban on vehicular movement.

Batticaloa district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians, P. Ariyanenthiran and Ms K.Thangeswary, had urged at a conference held in the Batticaloa district secretariat last week to re-open the entry points.