No LTTE camps in Government controlled areas - Army

THE Army yesterday categorically denied the existence of any LTTE camp in Government-controlled areas in remote Thivichchenai village in the Polonnaruwa district. It refuted allegations that this village was ringed by Army camps and detachments.

In a news release yesterday, the Army said the Mutugala Army camp, being the one and only nearest camp to Thivichchenai, is about three kilometres away.

The release said: "A factually inaccurate report that was printed in a weekend English newspaper (March 20) and subsequently picked up by some wire services and other electronic media to the same effect, has deliberately placed national security interests at risk while attempting to jeopardize peace overtures now being undertaken at Government level in order to seek a lasting solution to the national question.

"As normality was returning fast to those areas, particulary in the aftermath of the ceasefire agreement, presence of unarmed LTTE cadres as well as LTTE Karuna cadres has been observed in many remote areas in both Polonnaruwa and Batticaloa districts.

The scale-down of security measures and relaxation of restrictions in those areas however enabled such movements and their presence en masse. Similarly, reports of movement of armed LTTE cadres in those areas have also been referred to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission on a number of occasions.

"LTTE internal rivalry during the past few weeks saw an escalation of LTTE violence and killings in the east compelling Security Forces to intensify their security surveillance in those areas with the deployment of additional troops.

"As alleged in the media, Army intelligence cannot be blamed for renewed bout of LTTE violent acts in the east, particularly between LTTE Wanni cadres and its Karuna faction.

"While reiterating non-existence of any such LTTE camp in government-controlled areas as alleged in those reports, the Joint Operations Headquarters (JOH) wishes to further make clear that publication of such malicious and misleading reports does not in anyway serve national security interests."