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LTTE terrorists fired into several populated areas in the Jaffna peninsula on Saturday as a part of their abortive attempts to disrupt the October 10 general election, military officials revealed. The civilians were attacked just when troops were continuing to repulse fierce Tiger attackss on front lines at Kilali - Muhamalai sector and Eluthumadduval in the Thennamarachchi. Military spokesman Brigadier Sanath Karunaratne said that people in Thennamarachchi (North) and Vadamarachchy (South) came under sporadic LTTE artillery fire on Saturday. According to Brigadier Karunaratne several people were wounded from the indiscriminate terrorist artillery attacks on areas where there was no military presence. At least 74 families were reported to have left their homes. "The attacks were clearly aimed at displacing the civilian population ahead of the October 10 general election," he said. He also said that the terrorists fired in to populated areas because people did not accept LTTE orders to vacate their homes and the offensive of the Tigers did not go as planned. The LTTE failed in their fourth phase of the operation "Unceasing Waves"last last Tuesday loosing over 170 terrorists during the past six days. Government officials in Jaffna revealed that there were 148,149 families in the government controlled parts of the peninsula, where the majority were in the Jaffna [13,052] and Nallur [18,335] AGA areas. The ICRC also recently said that approximately 160,000 people were displaced during April-May within the government controlled areas in the Jaffna. "About 3000 fled their homes across the Jaffna lagoon and sought refuge in the Wanni mainland," they said. Government
sources charged that the LTTE terrorists were trying to displace thousands
of innocent people and upset the general election depriving them of their
only chance to vote for a party who would find a solution to end the
crisis. Meanwhile,
Army Commander Lieutenant General Lionel Balagalle has assured to provide
security and do everything possible to hold the general election in the
north. "The
security forces will not allow the LTTE to take the upper hand in the
ongoing battle," he vowed.
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