Army returns 100 acres to rightful owners in Jaffna

The Sri Lanka Army returned over 100 acres of occupied civilian land to rightful owners at a ceremony in Jaffna yesterday. Accordingly, a total of 109.56 acres of land, comprising five plots in the Jaffna District and seven in the Kilinochchi District, were returned. 

The Sri Lanka Army Media Unit said presently, the military occupies only 0.5% of land in the North, which is considered crucial for upholding normalcy and security in the region. 

The release of land is the 24th consecutive release by the military since the end of Sri Lanka’s long-drawn conflict. “The release of lands is part of an ongoing effort by the Sri Lankan Government to return occupied lands to their rightful owners,” the media unit said. 

The process is carried out under the guidance of the Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Vikum Liyanage and the supervision of the Commander of the Security Forces - Jaffna, Major General Chandana Wickramasinghe.

The Chief of Staff to the President and National Security Advisor Sagala Rathnayake participated in the event as the Chief Guest. Senior Military Officers, overlooking District Secretaries of Jaffna and Kilinochchi, and Government agents of both districts were also present during the ceremony.