Lankan army denies using illegal weapons against LTTE

Colombo: The Sri Lankan military today denied accusations that it used illegal weapons in combating the LTTE during the decisive phase of the civil war in 2009. “Never at anytime during Sri Lanka Army’s 25 years of counter terrorism operations has it resorted to the use of illegal weapons,” military spokesman Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya said. He was responding to accusations levelled by Tamil groups that the army had used chemical weapons and cluster bombs during the battle. [caption id=“attachment_1363793” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. AFP[/caption] Rayappu Jospeh, a bishop from northeastern Mannar had reportedly told visiting US Ambassador-at-large on Criminal Justice Stephen J Rapp that the army had used the chemical weapons. “These are baseless allegations aimed at forcing the international community to act against Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council,” Wanigasooriya said. Sri Lanka is expected to encounter another resolution at the UNHRC in late March - the third such resolution in as many years to be moved by the US and backed by India. Similarly, Wanigasooriya dismissed allegations that the military had increased patrolling in northern Jaffna peninsula. “This is incorrect as we have only streamlined military activity in the north to ensure ease of civilian life. This meant that we reduced a number of military check points,” Wanigasooriya said. President Mahinda Rajapaksa who is the commander-in-chief of the army announced early this month that military presence in the north had been slashed to 12,000 troops since the war ended. PTI