SLA moves military hardware to Thenmaradchy FDLs

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 February 2007, 03:15 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were seen moving heavy military hardware, including more than fifteen T-54 type tanks and Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) along Point-Pedro Kodikamam road towards Thenmaradchy Forward Defence Lines (FDLs) Monday night, residents in Varani area said. With the fifth year anniversary of the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) approaching on 22 Februrary, the increased military movements have further fuelled speculations of renewed war in Jaffna, civil sources in Jaffna said.

Meanwhile, Sri Lankan armed forces stationed in Jaffna Peninsula were placed on red alert in the aftermath of the claymore explosion took place in the heart of the city on Saturday, and another unexploded claymore recovered 300 meters away from the 51.2 Brigade head office on Monday.

The armed forces introduced a new security measure Monday, and ordered all civilians and vehicles to keep a distance of least 100 meters when a military convey passes along a road.

In the South, extreme Sinhala nationalist parties, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), and Jathika Hela Urumaya, a party of Budhist monks, together with National Bhikku Front (NBF) are agitating to have the CFA annulled.

Observers in Colombo said, political exigencies will deter Sri Lanka 's President Mahinda Rajapakse abrogating the CFA, especially when Sri Lanka's worsening Human Rights record is receiving intense international scrutiny.

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