8/25/2007

The Defense sources today (August 25) announced that the Omanthai roadblock will be opned for the five week days from next Monday (August 27) as the ICRC had agreed to provide its assistance to the security forces for the two additional days. The crossing point will be open from 9 am to 5 pm during the week.

Since, May this year the Omanthai crossing point has been kept open for 3 days a week - Monday, Wednesday and Fridays - for civilian movement by the security forces. However, the ICRC was seeking security guarantees from both the government and the LTTE to open the route for the additional days.

Reliable sources said , Sri Lanka's ICRC delegation head Toon Vandenhove, had met the LTTE in Kilinochchi on Wednesday and Thursday and discussed the opening of the key roadblock of the A-9 road.

The security forces had to close down the roadblock since May (2006) the LTTE terrorists at several occasions fired mortars at the roadblock endangering the safety of the civilians and the ICRC representatives. The security forces however made arrangements to open the roadblock for three days considering the welfare of the civilians living under the terror clutches in the Wanni.

The A-9 road is known to be one of the main sources of income for the LTTE terrorists as the civilians crossing the point are forced to pay illegal taxes to the outfit. According intelligence sources the LTTE terrorists have lost many of their income sources as they had been driven away form the Eastern province, and presently facing a serious financial crisis.