An army camp in Achuveli will not be closed under any circumstances, due to its importance in preventing the return of the LTTE, military spokesperson Ruwan Wanigasooriya told press on Thursday.
Wanigasooriya claimed that although the lands of nine families had been 'appropriated' to build the camp in 1995, the government was making arrangements to compensate those families.
He went on to say that the 'appropriation' of civilian lands was often necessary for development such the as building highways.
A camp in Nunavil is due to be closed in two months but another one in Thikkam, which was captured from the LTTE, would be kept by the army and anyone claiming their lands would be given compensation.
Wanigasooriya's announcement comes days after Achuveli residents protested further land grabs in the area.