Gallant forces gallop on the last lap to liberation

by Ranil WIJAYAPALA

The incident that took place in Galge area on the Buttala-Kataragama Road on Friday was yet another indication that the LTTE is once again making desperate attempts to give false signal to the South taking the advantage of the uncertain situation created by the narrow-minded politicians holding the general public to ransom under the cover of soaring cost of living.

Four civilians including a mother and a son and another two females were killed and 24 others sustained injuries as the LTTE cadres hiding in the jungles opened fire at a Kataragama bound bus from Moneragala at the 49th kilometre post, just passing few kilometres from the Galge area.

It was a clear example that the LTTE is taking the best advantage out of politically uncertain situations in the South to go ahead with their desperate terror plans to destabilize the South as the incident took place after the day, the JVP and UNP backed trade unions staged a token general strike demanding a Rs. 5,000 salary increase.

As predicted by the Government and also by some politicians, the LTTE would have prayed for a uncertain political situation in the South through this general strike as such situations immensely help them to go ahead with their terror plans.

The LTTE proved that fact Friday itself by sending shockwaves especially in the Southern and Uva provinces at a time when people were participating in the Kataragama festival, which has been organized in a grand scale.

Therefore, the Opposition, which is hell-bent towards disrupting the ongoing military operations against the LTTE in the Northern battlefront should realize the obnoxious nature of the agenda they are working on at a time when the entire nation is facing one of the most decisive periods in the two and half decade long conflict in the North and East of the country.

If they are really conscious about the future of the country and its future prosperity and the current soaring cost of living, they should help find a permanent solution to this problem.

They should realize the fact that the entire nation can wriggle out of this economic and food crisis once we could get rid of LTTE terrorism which had crippled not only the economy of the country but also its food production as the ongoing conflict had engulfed nearly one third of the country’s cultivable land.

The Mannar ‘Rice Bowl’ which was liberated by the troops two weeks back was the classic example. The country had lost the rice production in this bountiful land for the past few decades when it was under LTTE domination. This paddy lands stretching over a 105 square kilometre area is being opened up for cultivation after its liberation by the 58 Division under the command of the Brigadier Shavendra Silva.

At the same time we had to impose restrictions on fishing in our territorial waters due to the LTTE terror tactics. The situation has enabled the fishermen from neighbouring India to poach in our seas and exploit our lucrative fishing resources.

What is required at this moment is to strengthen the hands of the Security Forces which are now engaged in the gallant task of not only liberating the entire country from the clutches of the LTTE terrorism but also bringing economic prosperity to the country by removing all barriers placed against the national economy and food production.

The need of the hour is to provide a strong backing to the Security Forces as they are already in the task of eliminating terrorism from the country under the correct military and political leadership.

What they need is a peaceful mind to concentrate on their military efforts to fight against the LTTE and to add value to every life and limb they sacrificed on behalf of the nation if the people in the South need to see an early end to the ongoing conflict’.

They should not bear any doubts in their minds, as troops have not suffered any debacles in their two year long military operations commencing from the Mavilaru in the Eastern liberation operation.

The troops are now successfully engaged in the Wanni liberation operation after advancing into the centres of Eastern and Western flanks of the Wanni battlefront. The LTTE is now facing a crisis as they have never expected such an advance from the Security Forces.

For the first time in the history the LTTE is facing the Security Forces in the middle of Wanni jungles where they had their strongholds unknown even to their own people in Wanni.

The greatest setback the LTTE facing today is that though they were supposed to be the experts in guerrilla warfare, they have never prepared for such a warfare with the Security Forces as they have focused mainly on the supply routes leading to the heart of Wanni.

The creation of a massive military front in the Western flank of the Wanni theatre with the linkage of 57 Division operating in the Vavuniya front and 58 Division operated in the Mannar front in the South West of Periyamadu on June 30, has given a bigger headache to the LTTE leadership as it had upset the use of their reserve forces.

The creation of the 61 Division to hold the ground captured by the 57 Division upto Palampiddi has lessened the burden on the latter which has been formed for offensive operations.

With the linkage of the 57 Division and the 58 Division , the 582 Brigade once again came under the command of the 58 Division and they are now operating in the West of Periyamadu and heading towards the Vedithalthivu from the East to North direction.

The Commando troops operating in Paramayankulam tank on Friday captured one Tiger bunker in the North of Paramayankulam tank killing five Tiger cadres.

Now troops are dominating more than seven square kilometres around Paramayankulam tank which is located between Periyamadu and Vedithalthivu.

They completely took control of the Paramayankulam tank by yesterday evening. This tank is the main source of water for the LTTE operating in the Vedithalthivu Sea Tiger base. In the Western bund of the tank there are five main sluice gates to feed 12 water canals, three of which connected to Vedithalthivu area.

Though dry weather conditions prevail in the area at present, the tank is filled to its full capacity. It is an indication that it was rich in water even during dry seasons.

The Security Forces believe with the fall of this tank the LTTE cannot exist in Vedithalthivu area any longer as all their supply routes connecting Kilinochchi are being cut off by troops attached to the 57 and 58 Divisions.

As the Vedithalthivu Tiger base come under threat from the Western edge from Periyamadu direction with troops advancing some four kilometres West of Vedithalthivu, the troops attached to the 58 Division operating from the South of Vedithalthivu also made a major breakthrough on Thursday capturing main Sea Tiger base located in the Northern tip of Pappamoddai. The area has been identified as Plakaimunai.

This area had been used by the LTTE to launch their boats and maintain links with the Mannar town and Vedithalthivu.

All the contraband from Mannar town had been transported to Vedithalthivu through this Sea Tiger Base.

Relatively a high ground located in the coast, anyone can observe the movements in Mannar from this location, according to Security Forces.

The Infantry troops were able to capture nine Tiger bunkers jacking out to Vedithalthivu during this operation.

Therefore, troops are now poised to capture the main bases of the LTTE located in Vedithalthivu in the coming weeks as it being surrounded from three directions, the North, West and from the South.

With these developments the LTTE may have shifted their logistic bases further North towards Illupukadaveli, Iranathivu and Devil’s Point.

As the 58 Division is making incursions into Vedithalthivu the troops attached to the 57 Division is heading towards Thunukkai one of the two main townships in the Western flank of the Wanni. The troops attached to the 57 Division made major breakthrough with the capture of Naddankandal in the South of Thunukkai.

The area was totally taken under control of the Security Forces by Friday afternoon advancing the troops towards six kilometres South of Thunukkai.

The LTTE is now preparing to defend Thunukkai the main township in the West of Wanni after Mallavi.

The International NGOs including the ICRC is still present in Mallavi area adjacent to Thunukkai? Once Thunukkai falls into the hands of the Security Forces, Mallavi too would follow.

The LTTE has created a defence line covering Thunukkai as they were expecting troops from this direction. The Security Forces too for the first time took some targets through their long-range artillery guns.

Though the LTTE is facing a severe shortage of manpower at this point of time the intelligence sources indicate that they have increased the number of Tiger cadres to 5,000 with the forcible recruitment of youth into the organization.

According to the calculations by the Security Forces the LTTE has the capacity to increase the number of cadres by another 5,000 recruiting youth from a nearly 200,000 population entrapped in Wanni at present.

However, it is doubtful how long this civilian population will live in Wanni under the harassment of the LTTE. There is a trend developing among the people to escape from Wanni towards Mannar and Trincomalee. In the coming months the number is expected to increase considerably.

But it is most unlikely the LTTE would allow these civilians to move freely into Government-held areas in Wanni. If so they will be safely taken to the cleared areas by the Security Forces.

To prevent this situation the LTTE continues to put pressure on the civilians to leave further interior into the Wanni once they feel Security Forces are advancing towards civilian populated area.

Therefore, it is obvious that the LTTE can engage in this game only till the population in Wanni live with them. That is why the Tiger leader Prabhakaran had held the lives of Wanni population to ransom to continue with his terror plans.

There is no doubt that he will not hesitate to use these civilians to exert pressure on the Indian politics with the shifting of displaced civilians to Vellankulam area in the North Western coast since the easiest way of influencing the Indian authorities is through sending Tamil civilians as refugees to Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu.

However, things will not be so easy for them as the Security forces have already cut off the North Western coast from the centre of the Western flank of Wanni theatre.

The Task Force II operating under the command of Brigadier Rohana Bandara too made big success on Friday with the capture of the Navi, a settlement area located some 14 kilometres West of A-9 road. The Task Force II that began operations on June 7 is now advancing towards A-9 Road, in the North Western direction.

The capture of this area is vital as all supplies to Omanthai entry exit point and other LTTE defences along the A-9 Road are fed through this area.

The LTTE is taking the cover of the civilian population living in Mankulam to direct artillery fire at the troops operating in this front.

The LTTE knowing the destiny they have to face in the coming months is now in the process of constructing new defence line in Mankulam area if they are to retreat from Omanthai.

Meanwhile the entire Weli Oya front from Kiriibbanvewa North to Janakapura North engaged with the LTTE on Friday.

Ten Tiger cadres were reportedly killed during this battle.

The Weli Oya front too expected to make major moves within the next few weeks as many of the Tiger bases under the 1-4 base have already fallen into the hands of the Security Forces by this time.

According to the sources the other Tiger base coming under 1-4 base complex is located in the Nagacholai forest reserve further North of Andankulam forest reserve where troops are now confronting the LTTE.

Therefore, the people in the South will in near future be able to witness the success of the efforts made by the Security Forces in these thick jungles for the past one and half years in the Wanni theatre in their struggle to liberate the motherland from the LTTE terror.