Colombo, Feb. 16, SPA -- Sri Lankan security forces have recovered large caches of arms and ammunition in the unsettled north and east of the island in the last two days, PTI quoted the Defence Ministry as saying. About 690 kilograms of C-4 explosives and 380 rounds of ammunition along with communication equipment were recovered from the northern Jaffna peninsula after the forces were given information by the civilians, the ministry said. The explosives were found sealed in 30 wooden boxes and hidden between two walls of an abandoned house in Ariyalai, the ministry said. Military spokesman Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe described it as the biggest detection of explosives made by the forces yet. In the northeastern district of Trincomlaee 26 anti-personnel mines were uncovered while troops conducted a de-mining operation. On Thursday morning, troops defused a claymore mine in eastern Batticaloa believed to have been placed by Tamil Tiger rebels to target security force personnel. A search operation was underway in the area, the defence ministry added. --SPA www.spa.gov.sa/425891