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Lankan forces recapture key territory in Jaffna

Sri Lankan security forces have captured a key junction at Muhamalai in the northern Jaffna peninsula in a surprise offensive, an army spokesman said Monday.

"We successfully recaptured Muhamalai, a key junction point, an area conceded to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in the rebels' 'Unceasing Waves IV' operation in November," Brig Senath Karunaratne told PTI.

The advance late Monday night was stage two of 'Operation Kinihira IX', the first stage of which led to the capture of about seven sq km of territory near Kilaly and Elutbuadduvai on January 16 and 17.

During Tuesday night's "surprise manouevres," the security forces captured about eight sq-km of territory in Muhamalai area, but Karunaratne said the junction's capture was more important than the area cleared by the army from rebel control.

He said two and a half km of the road towards Pallai on the Jaffna-Kandy A9 National Highway was part of the captured territory. Security forces did not suffer any casualties, he said.

The troops were targeting LTTE's artillery and mortar positions in the operation, during which the rebels retreated, "fearing advances by the army," he said.

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