By Madhawa Kulasekara from Vavuniya

12.30 p.m - ‍The three jailers were rescued after special operation by STF, army and police units, tear gas was used by the units in the rescue operations. No casualties reported, while LTTE detainees are been currently transferred to the Anuradhapura prison, Prison officials said

11.51 a.m - Officials have sought a court order to enter the Vavuniya prison complex. Bulldozers have also been brought into the scene in case of an emergency. Defence authorities say that three more truck loads of STF were dispatched to Vavuniya short while ago.

Joint rescue operations are still underway after three jailers were taken hostage by LTTE detainees inside the Vavuniya Prison last night.

The Special Task Force, Army and Police personnel are gearing up to rescue the three jailers who had been taken hostage for more than 15 hours.

All roads surrounding  the Vavuniya Prison has been closed, while the electricity supply to the prison complex has also been disconnected. Reports states that special Army teams have been sent from Colombo to assist the rescue attempts

The jailers were forced inside a prison cell and taken hostage by the LTTE detainees last night after Court orders pertaining to the transfer of another LTTE detainee also in the Vavuniya Prison was carried out by officials. (MK)

Earlier yesterday :

A tense situation was reported from the Vavuniya Prison when the remand prison inmates staged a protest regarding an issue pertaining to a former LTTE cadre, who is also a current detainee in the said prison.

A court order was issued recently to hand over the detainee, who is a former LTTE leader, to the Terrorist Investigations Division (TID).

Acting Police Media Spokesperson SP Sajeewa Medawatte stated the tense situation occurred when the authorities attempted to remove the detainee from the prison premises.

He added the other LTTE detainees had refrained from taking their meals and had also prevented prison officials from entering the prison premises.

The Prisons Department in Colombo had also been notified of the situation.

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