Sri Lanka, April 11 -- A key stretch of Palaly Road, connecting Vasavilan Junction to the Ponnalai-Paruthithurai Road was reopened for civilian use after more than three decades of closure. The move comes a day ahead of a visit to Jaffna by Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, highlighting the political and symbolic significance of the reopening.

The 2.5-kilometer stretch, which runs through a former high-security military zone, had been inaccessible to the public since 1990, during the height of the conflict. For decades, residents of Jaffna travelling to northern areas of Palaly were forced to take lengthy detours via Kankesanthurai, adding strain to daily life and cutting off direct connectivity within the peninsula. Despite persistent ...