Sri Lanka Army re-demarcates new safety zone

Hilary Rajakarunanayake, Editor – Sri Lanka, Asian Tribune

Colombo, 09 May, (Asiantribune.com): The Sri Lanka Army, which is in full control of more than two third of the existing Puthumattalan "Safety Zone" has now officially anounced the newly re-demarcated safety zone.

According to Sri Lankan Army’s announcement of Friday (08 May), the previously defined safe zone for civilians on the Northeastern area has been re-demarcated , restricting the strip to south of Karyamullivaikkal including Vellamullivaikkal, with an area of some 2 km in length and 1.5 km in width.

Earlier in mid February, the Sri Lanka Army announced a safety zone with an area of 12 sq kms, for civilians in the Puttumatalan coastal strip, located in Mullaitivu district.

The official announcement over the re-demarcation of the "New Safety Zone" came hours after Army on Thursday (7) evening captured the Tamil Tiger’s earth-bund, after pitch confrontations from where troops collected several dead Tigers and a large cache of LTTE arms and ammunition inflicting heavy casualties on the Tigers.

Since then, the troops advanced further into the safety zone and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were confined to an area of 4.5 sq kms.

The government said the objective of declaring a newly demarcated Safety Zone was to secure the release of Tamil civilians whom they allege that the LTTE are holding as human shields.

- Asian Tribune -