Troops seize last LTTE-held area,take full control of Jaffna

“With this,the last land on Jaffna has been liberated from the LTTE,” he said. The northern peninsula is strategically located and has long been a prize catch for both the warring sides in the island’s decades-old ethnic strife.

“We believe the rebels have suffered heavy casualties but the bodies must have been removed by other LTTE cadres. The Army has suffered no casualty,” Nanayakkara said.

The new success for the advancing Lankan troops came five days after they seized the strategic Elephant Pass,the gateway to the Jaffna peninsula. The rebels,who has already lost their de facto capital Kilinochchi,now only controls their coastal stronghold of Mullaittivu.

Sri Lankan troops advanced further into Mullaittivu,killing seven Tamil Tigers in ground clashes amidst a spate of air attacks by fighter jets in the region,the military said.

Sri Lankan fighter jets and MI-24 helicopters carried out 10 successive air raids targeting LTTE ‘gathering places’ and defence lines in Mullaittivu yesterday,Air Force spokesperson Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara said.

The LTTE defence lines in south of Mullaittivu was targeted in four occasions by the fighter jets to assist the ground troops advancing towards the last rebel bastion.

Jets also bombed LTTE vehicles carrying two heavy artillery guns near Kilinochchi on Tuesday,Nanayakkara said adding,the weapons were completely destroyed.

Troops had several confrontations with LTTE fighters in general area of Dharmapuram near Kilinochchi on Tuesday,the officials said. Later,the security forces found three bodies of LTTE fighters killed during the clashes in the area along with three T-56 riffles,the Defence Ministry said.

Security forces also found four bodies of LTTE cadres from Murasumudai near Kilinochchi on Tuesday.

Separately,Sri Lankan authorities said they have buried 41 unclaimed bodies of suspected Tamil Tigers killed by troops in the island’s north,media reports said.

Three LTTE cadres manning defence line in Dharmapuram area have surrendered to the security forces,the Army said.

Meanwhile,Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardane on Tuesday said Kilinochchi will be developed at par with other districts after landmines from the area are removed.

Addressing the media,he said while registering military victories over LTTE,the government was at the same time committed to look after the needs of those who suffered due to the activities of the rebel outfit.

He said a special meeting chaired by Senior Presidential adviser Basil Rajapaksa at the President’s Secretariat discussed development of the northern areas and the welfare measures to be taken for those to be resettled,the state-owned Daily News reported.