A former area commander, Maj. Gen. Ashok Mehta of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF), which was in Sri Lanka from July 1987 to March 1990 said that IPKF made no attempt to occupy the Thoppigala area because it had no strategic significance.
“Thoppigala was a vast jungle area which did not lie on any major line of communication. It was basically a hide out for the LTTE. It had hospitals, prisons and training camps. I have personally led operations to destroy these facilities,” Maj. Gen Metha told media.
“But we always came back to base, as there was no need to occupy the area. There was nothing to occupy!” Gen. Mehta who led Indian troops in the Eastern districts of Batticaloa and Ampara said.
Yesterday, Sri Lanka government defence spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella that the IPKF could not occupy Thoppigala even though it had deployed 20,000 troops.
Currently, government troops are advancing towards to capture Thoppigala, and military claimed that within few days, the entire Thoppigala area will come under military control.
(http://www.colombopage.com/archive_07/July5180708JV.html)
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