Search operation in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 July 1999, 10:20 GMT]
Hundreds of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers from camps at Naakarkovil, Maamunai, Varani and Vallipuram launched a search operation in the Vadamaradchi East and Thenmaradchi divisions of the Jaffna peninsula in the early hours of this morning, said sources.

The soldiers moved into the villages of Kudaththanai, Ampan, Varani, Potpathy and Manalkaadu. The troops have not returned to their camps until afternoon the sources added.

The soldiers conducted house to house search operation in Ampan, the sources added.

The SLA captured the Jaffna peninsula in early 1996. However, several villages in the Vadamaradchi East and Thenmaradchi divisions are not under its control.

The Liberation Tigers are active in these areas and the SLA believes that the LTTE uses these areas as their base for attacks into the peninsula.

It is not known if any arrests were made during the operation.