The Majors General who commanded the humanitarian operation against the LTTE, told military representatives of 41, countries yesterday that the political leadership and Security Forces’ commitment paved the way to eliminate terrorism from Sri Lankan soil.

During the second day of the three day international seminar ‘Defeating Terrorism – The Sri Lankan Experience’ organized by the Sri Lanka Army to share the experience of Sri Lanka, Majors General Nandana Udawatta, Prasanna Silva, Chagy Gallage, Jagath Dias and Shavendra Silva spoke on how the humanitarian operation was conducted in the North and East.

The speakers also stressed LTTE brutality by pointing out, among many other instances, how the LTTE used the No fire Zones for military activities, using their own people as human shields, recruiting children for military activities and using suicide cadres at the final stage of the operation to attack civilians and military personnel.

Major General Nandana Udawatta said that a well defined political and military strategy supported by the will of the public was the key factor in the victory over terrorism.
In response to a question raised by a visiting military representative, Major General Chagy Gallage said that no support was obtained from the Karuna faction at an operational level nor at tactical level in the humanitarian operation in the East.