Jaffna to Colombo flights suspended

[TamilNet, Sunday, 03 February 2008, 15:40 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Jaffna suspended all six daily flights to Colombo from Palaali air base in Jaffna until Tuesday, sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, SLA Jaffna requested Jaffna peninsula residents to celebrate the 60th Independence Day, hoisting the Sri Lanka's national Lion flag in all public, private institutions, the sources added.

Only one of the six flights between Ratmalana in Colombo and Palaali was operated Sunday.

Several Judges from Jaffna peninsula who are in Colombo attending a conference, remain in Colombo unable to return to Jaffna due to the suspension of flights.

Meanwhile, SLA has intensified security measures in Jaffna peninsula Sunday causing people to keep off from the main roads from Jaffna to Palaali, Kaangkeasanthu’rai and Point Pedro.

SLA ordered people to alight from vehicles subjecting them to severe checking at many points along these key roads.

People in Jaffna peninsula will likely keep to their houses Monday in order to avoid unnecessary inconveniences, civil society sources in Jaffna said.