Those 613 acres, belonging to Kilinochchi District (474 acres) and Mullaittivu District (139 acres) were being used earlier by tri-services under the Security Force Headquarters - Kilinochchi (SFHQ-KLN) & Security Force Headquarters - Mullaittivu (SFHQ-MLT) for security purposes as the fight against terrorism was intensifying before May 2009, the Army Media reported.

Earlier, the government in a similar move released 1000 acres of land in the North as a gesture of goodwill soon after the President Maithripala Sirisena was elected to office in January, this year.

This national ceremony on Monday (5) at Waddakachchi was attended by Governor for Northern Province, Ministers, State Minister of Defence, Chief Ministers, Parliamentarians, Secretary Defence, District and Divisional Secretaries, Commander of the Army, together with Navy and Air Force Chiefs, Inspector General of Police, SFHQ Commanders and civilians in the area.