Sampur’s imminent fall

SF commandos fight in 2.5 km Tiger territory, LTTE moving heavy weapons from Sampur

War and Peace The Defence Diary by Ranga Jayasuriya

Early this month, the Tigers directed a heavy volume of artillery fire on the Trincomalee harbour. That was as a prelude to simultaneous attacks on Mahindapura, Selvanagar, Kattaparichchan,Pahalatopur military camps and the Mutur jetty.

As Tiger artillery pounded the China Bay Naval camp, a flotilla of sea Tiger boats emerged from Soodaikudah, west of Foul Point to target the security personnel carrier Jetliner transporting some 800 security personnel.

As Dvora Fast Attack Craft (FAC) engaged with the flotilla of sea Tiger boats, Jetliners safely sailed into the harbour. The sea Tiger attack on the passenger vessel at the harbour mouth, though foiled by the Navy gunboats, which destroyed a several sea Tiger boats was a reminder of the growing threat posed by the LTTE build up in Sampur.

The artillery strike on the naval base also killed five sailors and injured 12.

This incident reinforced the fact that the Trincomalee harbour, the lifeline of 42,000 security forces and police deployed in Jaffna is not safe, unless the LTTE guns and cluster camps in Sampur are neutralised.

Again on August 12, as troops battled a Tiger onslaught in the Muhamalai and Nagar Kovil Forward Defence lines, several rounds of Tiger artillery hit the Trinco Naval base.

That was a diversionary attack. A stray shell fell in the Prima factory premises killing one employee.

LTTE build up

The threat posed by the LTTE build up in Sampur was frequently raised by the security forces top brass at the National Security Council meetings.

This led President Mahinda Rajapaksa to state that any cessation of hostilities “should include modalities to ensure that the Sampur area does not pose a military threat to the Trincomalee harbour and its environs due to the LTTE military presence violating the Ceasefire Agreement”.

In the wee hours of last Sunday, Special Forces commandoes embarked on the mission to neutralise LTTE build up in Sampur. Troops advanced from the Kattaparichachan and Selvanagar military camps towards the Tiger territory. Artillery and Multi Barrel Rocket Launchers (MBRL) fire was directed at LTTE positions in Sampur from the Monkey Bridge military camp and Chinabay naval base.

One notable feature was that the LTTE did not opt for a close combat.

Instead, troops came under indirect fire of artillery and heavy mortars. The area was heavily mined and booby trapped.
The Airforce Kafir fighter jets bombed LTTE artillery positions and ammo dumps in Sampur and Ichchalampattu, south of Sampur.

In the ongoing military action, the Airforce proved to be highly effective.

Following the air strikes on LTTE positions on Sunday, a notable decline in LTTE artillery attacks has been seen.

As of yesterday troops have advanced two and a half kilometers into Tiger territory, taking control of the Kattaparichchan village and the Kattaparichan bridge which is a main road linking government and LTTE controlled areas.

Sampur the main LTTE base is only two and a half kilo meters from this point.

However, the plan is to take control of the entire general area of Sampur. The Navy is expected to be assigned to carryout security of the area. According to the latest reports, the indirect fire by the LTTE has been tremendously restrained by the air strikes and counter fire power by the security forces.

Imminent fall

The LTTE is reported to have been moving its artillery guns and heavy mortar from the Sampur area towards Vakarai. This is a sign that the LTTE in coming to terms that there would be an imminent fall of Sampur.

Apart from the sporadic fire from a single artillery gun from Vakarai, the thrust of the LTTE resistance is portable mortar such as 60 mm, which can be fired one kilometer away. Still, the main challenge to the security forces, is the heavily booby trapped terrain.

Twenty-two soldiers including two officers were been killed in action by Friday, while 130 soldiers were wounded. LTTE casualties are estimated to be well over 100 cadres, according to the security forces. However, no independent verification is possible on the casualties of the LTTE.

The Tiger-stronghold of Sampur, is almost likely to fall within the next few days. The LTTE has downplayed the battle for Sampur. Its propaganda is conspicuously silent on the military action in Sampur.

Sampur has been LTTE’s political and military stronghold in the East, which has been refortified since the signing of the ceasefire agreement.

From the very outset, the LTTE strategy has been to establish its control over Trincomalee, which is, named as the Capital of the future Eelam state. Trincomalee, which is one of the deepest natural harbours in the world is also the nerve centre of the Sri Lankan Navy. It is also the lifeline of the 42,000 troops stationed in the Jaffna peninsula.

De-stabilisation of Trincomalee and its ultimate slipping out of Government control will be a deciding factor on continuance or else the presence of Security Forces in Jaffna.

Before the ceasefire, there were no Tiger camps on the southern perimeter of the Trincomalee harbour.

Routine security forces operations in the area prevented a permanent LTTE presence in the area. In 1997, a joint army and naval search operation was conducted from Foul Point up to Kattaparichchan in the East and Ilankanthai in the South. In 1998, the Special Boat Squadron (SBS) conducted a search operation from Foul Point up to the Elakkanthai sea-board. Mullaitivu and Vakarai have been identified as LTTE controlled areas under the ceasefire agreement. When arrangements for sea transport of LTTE cadres between the East and the North were mooted, the LTTE demanded the use of Ilakkan Thai as a transit point between Mullaitivu and Vakarai. Despite the opposition by the Naval officials, the then UNP government gave in to the LTTE demand. With this approval, the LTTE initially used Ilakkan Thai as a transit point.

However, by April, 2003, Sea Tiger craft arrived directly from Mullaitivu to Ilakkan Thai which was gradually transformed in to a major sea Tiger base.

National security

Sea Tiger gun boats and suicide craft are now stationed there.

Situated only four miles from the Trincomalee harbour, Ilakkan Thai, sea tiger base poses a grave threat to the national security. This is the main launching pad of the sea Tiger vessels and suicide operations.

Since the ceasefire agreement, the LTTE had set up 14 camps around the Southern perimeters of the Trincomalee harbour. This cluster of LTTE camps are code-named 3-2 camp in Sampur, 0-2 camp in Villukulam and 0-1 camp, 32 MF camp, Dolphin, India one camp in Kattaparichchan, 1-1 camp, 73 camp, 0-0 camp and B-C camp 3.

With the setting up of a cluster of camps on the Southern perimeter of the Trincomalee harbour, the LTTE have located its long range weaponry in Sampur, from where the Trincomalee harbour can easily be targeted. 122 mm artillery guns which can fire up to 20 km and 120 mm heavy mortars which have an effective firing range of 6750-15400 meters are positioned in Sampur and Ichchalampattu.

It is with these 122 mm artillery guns, that the Tigers targeted the China Bay harbour early last month. According to military intelligence, the LTTE has smuggled around twenty 122 mm artillery pieces during the ceasefire. The LTTE is believed to be in possession of another three 130 mm artillery guns, plus two 122 mm artillery captured from the Mulaitivu camp.

One of the main reasons for the success in the Security Force’s counter offensive to the Tiger onslaught is the vital role played by the air force.

Air strikes

According to reports by the pilots and ground intelligence, at least four LTTE artillery guns have been destroyed by the air strikes since August 11. This includes an artillery position in the Kalmunai Point (K Point) on the edge of Pooneryn from where the Tigers targeted the Palali Military Airport and the Kankesanthurai harbour.

Following the air strikes on K point, artillery guns in the K point have fallen silent. Another gun position and ammo dump in Iyakkachchi, Pallai has been targeted by the Airforce.

Since these air strikes, Tiger artillery fire has ceased in the Northern front.

Kafir fighter jets this week also targeted LTTE artillery positions in Ichchalampattu and Sampur as well as a sea Tiger base in Challai, which is the main base of the sea Tigers.

According to the latest reports from the North, Tigers have withdrawn from their original Forward Defence Line (FDL) in Muhamalai, after sustained security forces attacks and are now fortifying a new FDL 500 meters behind the original FDL.

Security Forces top brass in Jaffna are surprised as to why sea Tigers were not seen much in action. There were attempts for sea borne attacks on Kayts and Kilali. But, its presence in the recent offensive is disproportionately low.

There can be two reasons: The sea Tigers must be kept for future offensives or the recent naval and air operations must have had a crushing effect on the sea Tiger force. Sea Tiger bases and even boat movements have frequently been targeted by the Air Force.

The Navy trounced the sea Tigers whenever they took to the sea on an offensive operation- - in Pulmudai, Kilali, Trincomalee and Kayts.

In the wee hours of yesterday, ground troops in Kondimanar and PPD could see the live action of Naval forces, battling a flotilla of 30 sea Tiger boats.

Dvora FACs which engaged with the sea Tigers destroyed 12 boats, including at least five suicide craft. (See page 1 story)
At least 80 sea Tiger cadres are believed to have been killed in battle. Two FAC’s suffered minor damage to their gun systems and two sailors suffered minor injuries.

Meanwhile, there are reports of growing disillusion within the LTTE, especially in its Eastern sector. Eleven LTTE cadres surrendered to the security forces in Kajuwatta.

Reports also suggest that there is growing frustration at the LTTE ranks and a sign of a leadership crisis. Theepan, the Vanni Commander who led the costly offensive on the security forces FDL has not been replaced despite the mounting battle losses. This is against the earlier practice of the LTTE. It is well known that Theepan is a blue-eyed boy of Tiger supremo Prabhakaran.