Army expands safe zone for entrapped civilians- Mullaittivu
 Sri Lankan security forces underscoring its Zero
Civilian Casualty (ZCC) policy while engaged in the surge to liberate
thousands entrapped with LTTE have expanded the existing safe zone
facilitating civilian movement.
The strategy is also expected to ensure safety of the
civilians who are making constant efforts to flee from LTTE towards the
recently liberated areas both at Mullaittivu and Kilinochchi. According
to military officials, a 4-km long stretch to the north of Udayarkattu
junction and the Yellow Bridge on the A-35 Puthukkudiyiruppu-Paranthan
main road up to Iruthumadu (09 23 17.20 N & 080 36 25.70 E) and another
8-km long area from the south of Iruthumadu up to Thevipuram (09 23
17.40 N & 080 40 53.60 E) have been thus earmarked for this 'SAFE ZONE'
with immediate effect.
Both southern boundaries of the Udayarkattu junction
(09 21 17.80 N & 080 36 25.90 E) and the Yellow Bridge (09 20 21.80 N &
080 39 15.20 E) touch the edges of the A-35 main road, the sources
further said. Humanitarian aid agencies and NGO circles welcoming the
timely decision further commented that it would hold LTTE terrorists
totally accountable. "LTTE is using the innocent civilians as human
shields increasing the civilian suffering which has already loomed to a
crisis", an HR front official said.
The United Nations, on 16th January, called on the LTTE to allow the civilians to
move into government controlled areas without keeping them as a human
shield in the face of military advance.
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