SLA warns of more air strikes in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 March 2001, 13:51 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army warned civilians Tuesday to stay at least four kilometres away from the military positions of the Liberation Tigers in the Batticaloa district. In a leaflet issued in Batticaloa town Tuesday, the SLA said that it intends to attack areas in which Tiger bases are located with new Air Force jets and modern weapons. The leaflet also warned the people of Batticaloa to sever all their links with the Liberation Tigers.

The SLA imposed severe restrictions on civilians and government officials going to LTTE held areas of the district following reports that senior members of the organisation have come to Batticaloa from the Vanni.

The SLA claims that a large number of senior government officials, businessmen, civil society activists teachers etc., have been going to meet the LTTE leaders in the district's large western hinterland.

The SLAF said last week that it bombed the LTTE's Beirut base in the Kudumbimalai (Thoppigala) jungles 36 kilometres north west of Batticaloa town where the LTTE leaders were suspected to be holding a consultation meeting with people from several parts of the district.

Cattle herders who came from village of Kudumbimalai near the jungles in which the base is said to be located told local reporters that the bombs killed a few stray cattle and set on fire a small section of the dry zone forest.

The SLA has routinely claimed for more than a decade that it bombed the LTTE's Beirut base in the Kudumbimalai jungles.