SLA, SLN conduct joint war rehearsals in Jaffna seas

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 December 2007, 01:56 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) sailors from Karaingar Naval base and Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers stationed along the coastal areas, jointly conducted war exercises in the seas off the coast of Jaffna peninsula in Pannai, Araalai, and Karainagar areas since Saturday night up to Sunday morning, civil sources in Jaffna said. However, the SLA dismissed the threats insisting that the military activities were routine exercises.

Noise from the artillery barrage reverberated across the peninsula, according to Jaffna residents.

No details are known about any causalities.

SLN conducted similar rehearsals recently in Valveddithu'rai, Tho'ndamaanaaru and Kaangkeasanthu’rai (KKS). These exercises are being held to showcase maritime strength of the armed forces along northern coasts to prevent attempts by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eeelam (LTTE) to land along the coastal areas, and to strengthen the High Security Zone (HSZ) along the coast, local observers commented.

Meanwhile, in an attempt to boost the security of Jaffna town, a large number of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers conducted a large and cordon and search operation of the entire area within Jaffna municipality beginning early morning Sunday till noon.

All vehicles, both private and government, coming into Jaffna town from Vadamaraadchchi, Thenmaraadchchi, Valigaamam, and the Islets were stopped, the occupants asked to step down, detained for long time, and subjected to intensive search, sources in Jaffna said.

No details of any arrests made are available during these search operations

The search operation was meant to prevent the repetition of an attack similar to the one staged Wednesday in Colombo, a senior military official in the peninsula said.