According to our special correspondent in Jaffna, a large group of civilians gathered at Gurunagar around 9 AM and commenced the celebrations. The civilians then wended their way along the streets of Jaffna while thousands of others took to the street joining them. Later , some 10, 000 civilians were seen parading on the streets in Jaffna, our sources said. The crowd returned to Gurunagar around 12 noon and dismissed after expressing gratitude for the security forces members for opening a land route to the Jaffna peninsula after 20 years.

The sources said members of the Jaffna Traders Associations, Fisheries and Fishermen's Associations, Co-operative Movement Associations, Samurdi recipients, Private Bus Operators and members of different Trade Unions were the main organizers of the mammoth demonstration.

On Tuesday (18) several hundreds of young men, including three-wheeler drivers in Jaffna took to the streets to the same effect, just three days after the fall of Pooneryn.