New Development Vistas in North & East
THE COUNTRY'S development and progress will receive a major boost with the development activities launched in the North after a lapse of 30 years said Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka when he met a group of visiting US investors at the Prime Ministers office recently. The Prime Minister said eventhough Nature has gifted the Northern and Eastern Provinces with fertile soil those regions were unable to make a contribution towards agricultural development due to the scourge of terrorism.
MULLAITTIVU: ANOTHER LTTE suicide boat buried in PUTHUMATTALAN coast in MULLAITTIVU was recovered by a special Police team with the assistance of Task Force – VIII troops an intelligence received on Friday (24). The boat laden with explosives was 14 feet in length, 4 feet in width and 1 foot in height. This LTTE suicide sea-craft was in useable condition at the time of its recovery. 
EAST: JUST a few hours after the troops in THARAVIKULAM found one 120 mm mortar gun, a special Police team from Colombo made another recovery of a 12.7 mm anti aircraft gun with nine rounds of ammunition in THIVUCHENA area that comes under 231 Brigade, Friday (24) evening. In both instances, troops acted on intelligence given by some informants who were aware of the locations of those guns which had been kept buried by Tiger terrorists for any future use.
COMMANDER of the Army Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya visited Security Forces Headquarters (SFHQ) in Wanni on Saturday (25) morning to meet all Security Forces Commanders and other senior Field Commanders in North and East. Lieutenant General Jayasuriya was received by the Commander, Security Forces Headquarters (Wanni) Major General Kamal Gunarathna on his arrival.
COMMANDER of the Army Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya visited historic Kelani Raja Maha Viharaya on Saturday (25) evening and received blessings of the triple gem. Mrs. Manjulika Jayasuriya was also associated with the visit. Lieutenant General Jayasuriya offered flowers and other offerings to the temple before he venerated the Bodhi tree with a special pirikara.
THE new Army Commander Lt. General Jagath Jayasuriya spelling out his new vision - ‘to further transform the Sri Lanka Army into a highly trained, motivated, and disciplined professional force which is well organised and structured to suit both the current and future requirements of the country, said that the Army would work hand in hand with the government in its massive reconstruction initiatives to develop the areas once held by the LTTE terrorists. The Army Chief thanking the political leadership given to end the Eelam War IV said he hoped that the Army would get the fullest political support in future. Listing out his priorities, he said apart from assisting the development of the North, the Army would give priority to the welfare of the disabled soldiers, “I would follow my former Commander’s policy of stopping corruption, waste and irregularities in the Army”, he said.
NORTH & EAST: ARMY troops continued their search and clear operations in the general areas of VISUAMADU, MANKULAM and PUTHUKKUDDIYIRUPPU on Sunday (25) and found a large cache of explosives, arms and ammunition including mortar bombs and claymore mines. Three T-56 weapons, two hundred and fifty T-56 magazines, five hundred and seventy-six rounds of T-56 ammunition, four Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPG), two T-81 magazines, fifty-four hand grenades, one belt order, one T-97 Sub Machine Gun (SMG), one SMG magazine, thirty round of SMG ammunition, one micro pistol, four 81 mm mortar bombs, five 82mm mortar bombs........