Security threat looming large in the east –Ranga Bandara MP says

Contrary to government claims the eastern province continues to remain unsafe and security threats are looming at large with LTTE armed cadres present at many places, said Puttlam District UNP parliamentarian Palitha Ranga Bandara at a media conference this morning at the opposition leader’s official residence in Colombo.
Since the Eastern PC elections , 22 police personnel were killed and 19 were seriously wounded in attacks by unidentified gunmen, the parliamentarian said. Quoting Senior DIG Mahinda Balasooriya’s report on the eastern security situation, he said that police personnel are absolutely unsafe in the eastern province facing threats of attacks which has resulted in discontinuation of night patrolling.

According to the report, for any emergency, fully armed personnel in minimum two vehicles have undertake outdoor visits. They are also required to take walkie-talkie and other communication equipments for any emergency.

When President Mahindra Rajapakse went to declare open the Arugam Bay Bridge, the helicopter in which his entourage travelled came under attack from and the weapons used were a T-56 riflees which means that the LTTE cadres were present at close vicinity, Ranga Bandara said. The Kanjikkudicharu LTTE camp is still in existence an d not LTTE camps have been evacuated, he said.