LTTE base converted into police station in Wanni

Last Updated: Tuesday, March 02, 2010, 14:43

Tags: LTTE base, Wanni police station

Colombo: A key base of now vanquished Tamil Tigers at Poonaryn in northern Sri Lanka has been converted into a police station.

Poonaryn in Wanni, which was liberated from the LTTE in November, 2008, was the strategic location for the rebels for controlling the southern shore of the Jaffna lagoon.

The new police station located on the 98 km long A32 highway was opened yesterday by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mahinda Balasuriya.

The Police Chief said the station would meet the requirements of more than 10,000 civilians who had been resettled in the area.

He said it was the 423rd police station in the country and the 5th on the A32 highway, the Daily Mirror reported.

A 32 highway was closed in 1988 by security forces as they could not provide security to the road users due to the conflict and was reopened in January this year after 22 years.

The new police station was set up under the Government's Uthuru Vasanthaya programme.

The IGP said within the next six months eight main police stations would be set up in several areas including Mullaithivu and Jaffna.

Divisional Secretary of Pooneryn and several other police and armed forces officials were also present on the occasion.

PTI

First Published: Tuesday, March 02, 2010, 14:43