A-9 will remain closed till victory: Jaffna Commander

Yesterday’s pictures (05 Sat) from Jaffna. Pix by J. Weerasekera

The A-9 highway will not be opened until the northern areas are regained from the LTTE, Jaffna’s Security Forces Commander G.A. Chandrasiri said yesterday.

Maj. Gen. Chandrasiri told a group of journalists on a government-sponsored conducted tour to Jaffna that until the security threat from the LTTE was neutralized, the A 9 road which links Jaffna with the rest of the country would remain closed.

The opening of the A-9 highway was one of the demands placed by the LTTE to participate in the Geneva talks in 2006. The Jaffna commander said that despite the closure of the road, regular food supplies were arriving in the north. He said measures were being taken to beef up security in the Jaffna peninsula.

“We will be carrying out a census in Jaffna and issuing special identity cards to residents,” he said adding that the exercise would cost Rs. 21 million.