Vavuniya returns to normalcy

COLOMBO, NOV 12: Normalcy is slowly returning to the northern town of Vavuniya from where mass exodus of civilians was reported during th...

COLOMBO, NOV 12: Normalcy is slowly returning to the northern town of Vavuniya from where mass exodus of civilians was reported during the past few days following a warning by the LTTE to the people to move out to safer places.

Security forces and the government agent in Vavuniya are busy in convincing the people that they need not leave their houses as they would be fully protected. As a result, people have started returning and exodus has stopped, military sources in Vavuniya said.

Thousands of families started moving out of Vavuniya after the Tigers8217; radio warned them repeatedly to leave or face danger. Most of them leaving were from the trading class while hundreds of ordinary people were staying on despite warnings. Schools and other institutions in the area were closed.

Earlier this week, some 6000 residents from war zone villages moved further down in fear of LTTE attacks following the fall of several towns and military camps in Wanni during the last ten days of fighting.

A senior military official said the army had established new forward defence line at Omanthai, 23 km north of Vavuniya. Although there was sporadic mortar fire by the LTTE towards Vavuniya it were neutralised by the army by effective firing.

Troops have been regrouped and have taken positions on new defence lines. The military sources said 17 Tiger guerillas were killed after security forces launched fresh attack on Thursday.

Tigers fighting for a separate homeland for minority Tamils, recently launched a major offensive against government forces in the north wresting control of a large chunk of terriroty in the Wanni region that they had lost in the past two years. While the LTTE claimed that hundreds of soldiers were killed in the recent battle, army sources said they lost only 101 soldiers. Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross ICRC has told both the army and the LTTE to ensure safety and security of the people.

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ICRC spokeperson Harsh Gunawardena said that international delegates met senior army officials and also LTTE representatives in Wanni to ensure safety of civilian population. He said the Vavuniya-based expatriate delegates would continue to monitor the situation there as large groups of people left the town in view of the troubled situation.

ICRC sought security guarantee both from army and the LTTE after people started leaving the town to avoid being caught in cross-fire, he said.

Railway authorities said some 1600 people arrived in Colombo in four trains that left Vavuniya on Thursday.