An Army base, set up in 1987, has been vacated in line with overall reduction and deployment of armed forces in the Northern and Eastern Provinces. The Army recently vacated the Karaitivu base, located along the main Karaitheevu-Kalmunai and was formally handed back on Friday, 10 October. The land and buildings belonged to the Karaitivu Pradeshiya Sabha, the Divisional Secretariat, and several private landowners.
The Kalmunai Area Commander of the Sri Lankan Army handed over the relevant documents to Divisional Secretary G. Arunan and the Chairman of the Pradeshiya Sabha in a brief ceremony on Friday evening. Around 50 soldiers, stationed at the site, were transferred to the occupying Kalmunai military base.
The Indian Army also used the Karaitivu base during the deployment of the Indian Peace Keeping Force here.
