Colombo: Sri Lanka has marked the first anniversary of capture of "strategic" town of Kilinochchi, LTTE`s administrative headquarters, which later paved the way for military victory over the Tiger rebels.
Recalling the capture of the town on January 2, 2009, an official government website said, the fall of Kilinochchi during the same period last year set the tone for the annihilation of the Tiger rebels and its defeat following the killing of its supreme Velupillai Prabhakaran in May, 2009,
"It was recaptured in the humanitarian operation carried out under the leadership of President Rajapakse and the guidance of Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse," it said.
The retake of Kilinochchi was an important step in the humanitarian operation that was launched at Mavil Aru in Eastern Sri Lanka, it said.
The closure of the sluice-gates of Mavil Aru by the LTTE on July 26, 2006 was a crucial turning point in the Sri Lankan civil strife. The area having a waterway provided supplies to families in eastern Sri Lanka.
When the government`s appeal to restore the water supply failed to evoke any reaction, the security forces launched the military operations against the Tiger rebels with an air attack in August, 2006. The army then eventually took control of the sluice gates of the reservoir in Mavil Aru, the strategic area to commence the battle against LTTE.
The LTTE administration which lasted for decades was disrupted following this victory.
Kilinochchi is being rebuilt under the 180-day contingency programme of Uthuru Wasanthaya. While Civil administration has been set up in Kilinochchi, resettlement is also being successfully carried out.
The district Secretary`s office was recently inaugurated and infrastructure has been provided, the website noted. Many houses in the vanquished LTTE`s former headquarters of Kilinochchi have remained intact despite the pitched battles fought there till last year, raising hopes of faster resettlement in the former Tiger held areas.
"We have found lots of houses in Killinochchi which are not damaged and selected two schools - Malavi Central College and Yohapuram Central College, which are in good conditions, as transit centres to accommodate those people released from relief villages temporarily for a week," a top official said.
As on December 23, 2009, a total of 3821 families consisting of 13,016 people had been resettled in Kilinochchi.
PTI
