High-ranking military officials said calling off the operation did not mean that armed forces had dropped plans to restore the main supply route (MSR). The operation was launched in May 1997 to weaken terrorist power in the Wanni area and the new operation announced on Friday was aimed at securing more enemy controlled areas in Wanni, they said.

In a surprise move, the government on Friday said `operation Jayasikuri' (victory assured) had ended.

A press release from the ministry of defence which announced the launch of `Operation Rivi Bala' said it was a fresh operation conducted by the security forces after the completion of Jayasikuri.

Operation Jayaskurui, launched on May 13, managed to wrest only a meagre two thirds of the highway after18 months of operation against the touted 74 km recapture plans.

Interestingly, operation Rivi Bala was launched by the forces just three days after LTTE leader Prabahakaran's address over the Voice of Tiger offering peace talks through third party mediation.

Three days after its launch, an Army press release said that an area of 134 sq km around Oddusuddan, Mankulam and Nedunkerney were brought under government control.

Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan air force has started investigating how a sensitive poster containing photographs if its aircraft and suspected LTTE aircraft, meant for distribution within the services had reached the public.

The air force printed these posters after intelligence reports indicated that the LTTE had acquired two aircraft. The Tiger Radio on November 27 said that an air tiger wing had been established and that the aircraft were used for showering flowers at a cemetery where a large number of LTTE cadres were killed in war.

The posters were printed to enable security forcesto distinguish between government and LTTE-aircraft. The posters state that the LTTE is suspected to be possessing a R-44 aircraft, which some reports suggest that it was assembled in the jungles of northern Wanni. An inquiry is being conducted to ascertain who authorised the posters meant for security personnel.