SLN frequently intrudes LTTE areas in Trinco north- Tilak

[TamilNet, Sunday, 23 February 2003, 18:51 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Trincomalee Sunday intervened to diffuse the tension between the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) following an attempt by the SLN personnel to arrest cadres of the LTTE at Kallampathai, a LTTE held area, about forty km north of Trincomalee town, sources said.

There has been rising tension due to frequent intrusion of the SLN personnel in recent times into LTTE held areas in Kallampathai, said Mr.Tilak, LTTE's Trincomalee district political head. Previous to the signing of the MoU soldiers of the SLA and SLN did not venture into LTTE held areas in the division, he added.

On Sunday some SLN personnel had entered LTTE held area and rounded up seven of our cadres and attempted to arrest them. The SLN demanded them to surrender their arms, LTTE source said.

Members of the SLMM in Trincomalee were informed of the potentially explosive incident and they hurried to the scene bringing an amicable settlement that both parties should withdraw to their areas, LTTE sources said.

The tension diffused thereafter after a five-hour discussion with both parties by the SLMM monitors, sources said.

Meanwhile LTTE sources dismissed the claim by the SLN and the police that some LTTE cadres had stopped, checked and harrassed Buddhist pilgrims who were travelling in a bus on their way to Thiriyai Kirihandu Seya Sunday via Kallampathai.

Police officials inquired the pilgrims on their return to Trincomalee town. They had told the Police that they were checked by the LTTE but not harassed, police sources said.