Sri Lankan troops continue to recover mines and explosives from former battlefields

Sri Lankan troops and demining teams conducting search and clear operations in the North still continue to find caches of mines and explosives in the former battlefields.

An Army and Police combined search operation in Udayarkattukulam area of Wanni has recovered a massive haul of mines and bombs on Saturday (20).

According to the Army, the massive cache included 18,000 to 20,000 anti personnel mines, 4 claymore mines weighing about 12.5 kg each, 16 81-mm para mortar bombs, 52 60-mm para mortar bombs, 100 82-mm illumination mortar bombs, one 122 mm artillery shell and one anti tank mine.

In a separate mission troops conducting search and clear operation in the general areas of Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi districts recovered 4 hand grenades, one 111 anti personnel mines and one 60 mm pounder on Saturday.

Meanwhile, demining groups have recovered 45 anti personnel mines and 3 anti tank mines from the areas in Mullaitivu district on Saturday.

Several international demining teams are engaged in mine clearing operations along with the Sri Lanka Army's demining unit to clear the former battlefields that have been heavily mined by the LTTE rebels during the war.