The Sri Lankan military police announced that it had set up a new checkpoint by the Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu in the Mannar district, as militarisation of the North-East continues, despite sustained opposition from locals.
Sri Lanka Corps of Military Police (SLCMP) announced it had moved its vehicle checkpoint at Madhu junction to a new building at a different location by the popular shrine.
The church, a Roman Catholic Marian shrine, has been shelled by the Sri Lankan military in the past.
The military police announced the move to a new checkpoint with a ceremony held with the local senior army commanders.
The Sri Lankan armed forces continue to occupy vast swathes of land in the North-East. Though the government has repeatedly pledged to the international community that a process of demilitarisation will take place, tens of thousands of troops remain stationed across the region.