WANNI: MORE AND MORE startling stockpiles of LTTE sophisticated weapons, explosive devices, arms and ammunition, left hidden or buried in VELLAYANMADAM, south of PUTHUMATTALAN continue to emerge, as 9 Sri Lanka Artillery soldiers went on examining former LTTE hideouts, further deep in the above area as the clearing was intensifying.
Military hardware including one more Anti Aircraft Gun (AAG), popularly known as ‘pedal gun’, T-56 mark 1 weapon, T-56 mark 2 weapon, G3-A3 weapon, several parts of 12.7 mm weapons, a few Global Positioning Systems (GPS), one 9 mm Brown pistol and a stock of different ammunition rounds were among the latest weapons and devices that were uncovered by the troops, now in full control of the entire area.
The Anti Aircraft Gun (AAG) belonging to the ZPU model had either 20 mm single barrel or 23 mm double barrels with different variants. Terrorists had been in possession of several those AAGs and the troops were able to capture or uncover those weapons, believed to have been either smuggled or manufactured in LTTE factories in WANNI jungles during their heyday.
Just seven days before the war was over on 11th May 2009, 6th Gajaba Regiment troops captured three AAGs from KARAYANMULLIVAIKKAL area while two of them remained atop two LTTE double cabs. Again on 5th April 2009 troops after intense fighting in PUTHUKKUDIYIRUPPU found a similar AAG along with three 130mm artillery guns and one 85 mm artillery gun.
Those AAGs are capable of taking both aerial or altitudinal targets of some 2000-2500 meters. With a muzzle velocity of about 3200 ft, its armour penetration is at 500 m, according to the type of the weapon. The most powerful twin 23 mm automatic AAG (ZU 23) has entered service in 1949. The double barrel with wheels that fold and is raised from the ground in the firing position as wheels is air cooled and fire a variety of ammunition. The single barrel can be broken down into several pieces for transport over rough grounds. Generally 4-5 people are needed for operation. The maximum range covers 8000 m with an altitude of 5000 m. It could take as many as 4800 ammunition rounds per minute depending on its type.
At the time of Tuesday’s recovery the AAG had been dismantled and kept well oiled after packing it in polythene.
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