Security forces yesterday (31) recovered a T-56 rifle, ammunition, and other military equipment from the roof of a library building at the University of Jaffna.
During a joint search operation conducted by the police and the Police Special Task Force (STF), officers initially discovered a piece of wire commonly used to detonate bombs. Subsequent searches led to the recovery of additional items, including ammunition and various military supplies.
Among the items found were a T-56 rifle, two magazines, three small shells, a regenerative device used for detonating claymore mines, a stock of wire, medical bandages, saline, and wound dressings.
All recovered explosives and related materials have been handed over to the Kopay Police Station and will be presented to the Jaffna Magistrate’s Court.
Security forces in Jaffna have taken particular note of the discovery, as the ammunition appears to be new and live rather than war remnants.
However, the University of Jaffna authorities have claimed that the items are old and were likely hidden there during the war.
Investigators have raised doubts about this explanation, noting that the library building has been renovated twice since the end of the war, yet no such materials were found during those renovations.
As a result, security forces suspect that the weapons and ammunition may have been hidden there recently. They have launched a full-scale investigation into the matter.
Given that November marks the LTTE Heroes’ Week (Maha Veerar commemorations, often observed in Jaffna University, investigators are also exploring whether the recovered items were intended for use during those events.
