President Rajapaksa, Defence Secretary, CDS, Tri-Service Chiefs & IGP Visit War Heroes in Hospital

AS THE nation celebrates the traditional Sinhala and Tamil New Year, His Excellency the President is deeply conscious of the need to give the civilian population entrapped as hostages by the ruthless actions of the LTTE, the opportunity to celebrate these festivities in a suitable atmosphere and to have uninhibited freedom of movement from the No Fire Zone to the cleared areas. With this objective in view, His Excellency has directed the Armed Forces of the State to restrict their operations during the New Year to those of a defensive nature.
MULLAITTIVU: ONE more earth bund built by LTTE terrorist in the north of NANTHI KADAL lagoon was captured by troops Sunday (12) morning. Advance of the troops was resisted by LTTE when the troops reached the thin area in the north of NANTHI KADAL lagoon where LTTE had built a 1 km long earth bund. However, troops captured the earth bund defeating LTTE resistance. Later, troops recovered eighteen T-56 weapons, one mortar, one I-com set and one TATA single cab from the area.
BUTTALA: FIVE villagers in MAHAGODAYAYA, BUTTALA have been hacked to death by suspected Tiger terrorists Sunday (12) evening while they were returning from their paddy-fields. Initial reports said a group of isolated Tiger terrorists in the jungle have carried out the massacre. Police investigations are on.
WHEN we started our trip from Colombo on Friday, I had some idea of what to expect. It was not going to be easy. After witnessing TV images of the mass human exodus described as the biggest hostage rescue mission in the world and following it closely since Monday, I knew the picture would be rough. Around 7.30 in the morning we took off from the Ratmalana Airbase in a light aircraft used to transport goods and soldiers to North and landed in Anuradhapura one hour later. From there we boarded a MI 17 helicopter.
MULLAITTIVU: LTTE terrorists who continue to occupy “No Fire Zone” keeping entrapped civilians as hostages directed a sniper gunfire towards troops this morning around 9.00 a.m. killing one soldiers on duty at a distant defensive position in the general area of PUTHUKKUDIYIRUPPU. In the meantime, LTTE also directed artillery gunfire on troops in the general area of PUTHUKKUDIYIRUPPU this morning (13) injuring one more soldier. Those are the latest acts of terror conducted by LTTE hours after His Excellency the President Mahinda Rajapaksa offered a humanitarian pause for the ongoing counter terrorists operations.
“IT GIVES ME IMMENSE PLEASURE to address you at the dawn of the Sinhala and Hindu New Year when Sri Lankans of all ethnicities, Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims and Burgher, living in this resplendent island, popularly called the ‘Pearl of the Indian Ocean’ eagerly await the joy of peace.”, so said Commander of the Army Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka in his New Year Message. “From time immemorial, Sri Lankans are used to celebrate this cultural festival, symbolizing unity and mutual cooperation among all Sri Lankan communities giving prominence to traditional and religious rites and rituals.
MONARAGALA: TIGER TERRORISTS once again showed their barbarism killing three more innocent civilians in GALTEM ARA remote village in MONARAGALA Monday (13) evening. Villagers were getting ready to celebrate the Sinhala and Hindu New Year to dawn within a few hours when the armed LTTE terrorists stormed the village and opened fire at the villagers killing two elderly women and one male. Police also found one more women with severe cut injuries. Police suspect that the same group of LTTE gunmen who massacred nine civilians in MAHAGODAYAYA in the same area on the previous day is involved in this latest brutal act of violence.
THE ANNUAL “Vavuniya Avurudu Charika” (New Year Visit to Vavuniya) of the Moragahahena Sri Purvarama Buddhist Development Foundation in Horana was organized this year too for the eighteenth consecutive time. Buddhist monks of Moragahahena Sri Purvaramaya temple and dwellers in surrounding villages on 11th April took their Sinhala and Hindu New Year greetings.....