Civilians move from Mulliyavalai

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 December 1998, 05:02 GMT]
A large number of civilians from Mulliyavalai in the Mullaithivu district began moving towards Puthukkudiyiruppu since last night fearing another advance by the Sri Lankan Army (SLA).

The exodus started following the death of three civilians at Kalikaddu when the tractor in which they were travelling was hit by a claymore mine.

Sources said that people in the Mulliavalai area fear that the army might begin another operation from it positions in Weli Oya through the Tnannimurippu area, to the south and in Nedunkerni which is about 22 kilometers from Mulliyavalai.

There are about twenty thousand people currently resident in this small town.