Last & Seventh LTTE Airstrip Falls into Army Hands

The seventh and apparently the last some 2 km long LTTE runway in the west of Sundarapuram, Thirivilaru, northeast of Piramantharukulam, Puthukudirippu was captured and the area brought under the control of 58 Division troops commanded by Brigadier Shavindra Silva by Tuesday (3) morning, the Army Headquarters declared.

Though the entire strip is about 2 km, the tarmac was only 350 meter in length and 50 meters in width according to the ground troops who launched a lightning attack before troops moved in there. The tarmac had been partitioned into sixteen sections beginning from 1-16, most probably to use it as a hangar after return on completion of clandestine aerial terrorist bombing operations.

Ground troops before Tuesday’s (3) capture have earlier overrun six more terrorist runways and tarmacs in the KILINOCHCHI and MULLAITTIVU districts.

On 16th January 2009 ground troops caught the 1 km long LTTE runway in the eastern edge right opposite the famous IRANAMADU tank bund. Just a day before that detection, troops captured one more LTTE tarmac of 1100 meter from the eastern side, parallel to the IRANAMADU tank bund on 15th January 2009.

A day prior to last Christmas day (24th December 2008), heroic troops walked into another 350 meter long LTTE runway in the AMPAKAMAM north, giving a further blow to the terrorists.

Making another significant contribution, troops on 20th November 2008 completely overran a separate LTTE runway on POONERYN-PARANTHAN road (A-35) between the 15th and 18th Mile Posts and dominated their presence.

One more tarmac belonging to terrorists in WANNIVILANKULAM, about 7 km northwest of MANKULAM fell into Army hands on 30th September 2008. It was 500 meters in length.

Again one more well-built 2.5 km long LTTE runway with a few hangars was captured by the troops, from the area, about 5 km west of MULLAITTIVU lagoon on 10th September 2008.

(Courtesy: Army.lk)

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