Troops poised to enter Kilinochchi district

Fall of Vellankulam, Thunukkai and Mallavi imminent:

by Ranil WIJAYAPALA

The plight of the LTTE is reaching the lowest ebb of its existence by the time the Security Forces completed two years in its fight against the LTTE in the fourth Eelam War.

What the Security Forces have achieved during these two years is unprecedented in the 25-year long conflict in the country.

Whatever the criticism some people are directing against the Mahinda Rajapaksa government the common masses are confident that the country would soon be free from the cancerous menace of terrorism forever, leading the country towards an era of prosperity.

That is the only hope the people are entertaining while tolerating all other difficulties which they are facing today.

As the Security Forces complete two years of offensive operations against the LTTE, they have proved their capability to fight the LTTE terrorism in the most effective manner in the 25-year-long conflict. They have proved it not only through mere statements but through action by liberating the entire Eastern province and also a two-third of the Wanni.

It was due to their dedication, commitment and firm determination to free this country from LTTE terrorism that they have won victory after victory. They went through severe hardships and faced harsh criticism by narrow minded politicians who tried to belittle their achievements for the sake of politics.

Amidst all these challenges the Security Forces were committed to their cause and reached many milestones in their efforts to defeat LTTE terrorism. The first goal they achieved was the liberation of Muttur following the LTTE offensive launched on August 02, 2006. The next was the Mavil Aru operation which was commenced on July 26, 2006.

Then they achieved the next milestone regaining the control of Sampur which was considered to the one of the impregnable Tiger strongholds in the East.

The Security Forces next regained the control of Vakarai defeating the LTTE belligerency which held the civilian population as a shield against the Security Forces. The next stage of the military operations was focused on the West and South of Batticaloa.

The Security Forces had completed the Eastern liberation operation with the capture of the entire Thoppigala area which was highlighted as one of the biggest victories by the Security Forces.

The Wanni liberation operation which was one of the challenging tasks was commenced with the formation of the 57 offensive Division.

Later, the Task Force - I was formed to open a new front from Mannar so as to flush out Tiger guerillas from the Mannar front. The 59th Division was formed in the Weli Oya front at the beginning of this year to advance towards Mullaitivu.

The latest addition to the Wanni liberation operation was the formation of the Task Force - II, to open a new battle front from the West of A-9 road in the Eastern flank of the 57 Division operating in the Vavuniya front.

As at today the Security Forces have taken the upper hand in the entire Wanni liberation front confining the Tiger terrorist only to one third of the Wanni, which consists of only Vavuniya, Mannar and Mullaitivu districts.

With the capture of Vidathalthivu, the strongest Sea Tiger base in the Western coast, and Illuppaikkadavai, the biggest Tiger base in Mannar sector by last Sunday the troops have almost regained the control of the entire Mannar district except for some few square kilometres in Vellankulam, the northern most edge of the Mannar district bordering the Kilinochchi district.

As troops attached to the 58 Division are now poised to capture Vellankulam which has been surrounded by two earth bunds, they are now reaching towards the Kilinochchi district boundary.

That would be the first time the Security Forces are touching the Kilinochchi district border in the two years-long offensive against the LTTE.

It was on last Sunday morning that troops attached to the 58 Division under the command of Brigadier Shavendra Silva regained the control of Illuppaikkadavai which is located in the North Western coast, depriving the LTTE of one of their strategic locations where they had their biggest base in the entire Mannar district.

It was just three days after the capture of the strategic Vidathalthivu Sea Tiger base, the Security Forces gained control of this township where a considerable number of civilian population had lived.

The commando troops backed by the infantry troops attached to the 58 Division captured this strategic town and advanced further North after two days of efforts at flushing out the Tiger cadres.

The troops attached to the 58 Division are now operating in the South and East of Vellankulam hugging the earth bund created by the LTTE covering two branches of the Pali Aru which are flowing to the sea in the South of Vellankulam.

According to the sources the LTTE is making use of the civilian population entrapped in Vellankulam to strengthen their defences against advancing Security Forces. Battles erupted in Tikkali, a village located in the South West of Vellankulam during, the past few days.

By last morning the troops attached to the 12 Gemunu Watch Battalion under the command of Lt. Colonel Nandana Dunuwila detected another earth bund in the East of Vellankulam too.

With these developments troops were due to cut off the Vellankulam, Thunukkai, Mallavi road which is the main supply route to the Vellankulam town. According to military officials this is the first time the Security Forces are going to take control of this supply route after the collapse of the LTTE resistance.

Once this supply route leading to Vellankulam is cut off, the Tiger cadres operating in Vellankulam have to depend on supplies only from the Northern direction from the Pooneryn side. Therefore, possibilities are very remote for the LTTE to hold this coastal town further as troops are operating just two kilometres south of Vellankulam.

As troops attached to the 58 Division are about to capture Vellankulam in the North Western coast further reducing the LTTE control over it, the troops attached to the 57 Division are now engaged in a tremendous task of capturing the Thunukkai and Mallavi, the second most important administrative centres of the LTTE in Wanni.

The troops attached to the 57 Division under the command of Major General Jagath Dias inflicted the maximum damage to the LTTE operating in Vavunikulam area located South of Mallavi town.

The battle in the Vavunikulam tank area was full of heroic acts of the troops who faced one of decisive counter attacks by the LTTE in their bid to rescue their area commander Pallawan who was entrapped in an ambush laid by the troops attached to the 57 Division.

The troops attached to the 57 Division and the Special Forces troops commenced this decisive battle on Wednesday in a bid to take control of the Vavunikulam tank area stretching more than ten square kilometres in the South of Mallavi.

The 573 Brigade under the command of the Brigadier Prathap Thillekeratne was entrusted with the task of liberating this area. The 7 Sinha Regiment troops under the command of Lt. Colonel Kithsiri Liyanage was also attached to the 573 Brigade to accomplish this task.

It was from Wednesday night troops attached to the 573 Brigade inducted their troops in the West of Vavunikulam tank where the tank bund and the sluice gates are located.

Fierce battle erupted in the tank bund area on Thursday as infantry troops supported by the Special Forces troops confronted the LTTE cadres operating in the tank bund area.

For the first time in the Wanni liberation operation troops were able to capture one of the 120 mm mortar launchers belonging to the LTTE along with two 80 mm mortar launchers and a haul of weapons and ammunitions.

But the most decisive moment of the Vavunikulam battle commenced in the early hours of Friday. It was Lieutenant Ranjan who detected that area leader Pallawan who was the self styled rank of ‘Lt. Colonel’ was entrapped in a ambush laid by the 7 SR troops at 3.45 am.

The Tiger cadres directed a barrage of artillery and mortar into the area in their bid to take their leader out of their area. They tried to infiltrate the defence line laid by 7 SR troops. Once they detected the Tiger cadres presence, the troops took a bold initiative to inflict maximum casualties to the Tiger cadres.

Lieutenant Ranjan fought against the Tiger cadres even after he was hit by the Tiger firing and later sacrificed his life in the battle front. Then it was Warrant Officer A.M.

Adhikari a battle-hardened soldier from Kuliyapitiya who is about to leave the Army after completing 22 years of service, took the task into his hand.

He had detected more than 30 Tiger cadres were moving towards his direction and took all their lives chasing behind them for more than two Kilometres. It was in the morning the troops launched yet another attack on Tiger cadres trying to flee from the area in a tractor.

In the morning troops collected the bodies of the Tiger cadres scattered around the Vavunikulam tank bund area and in the North of tank in the South of Mallavi.

Twenty nine bodies collected on Friday morning alone were identified as those of Tiger cadres from the Charles Anthony Brigade of the LTTE.

The troops attached to the 3 Gajaba Regiment and the 9 Vijayaba Infantry Regiment also contributed to accomplishing the task of securing Vavunikulam tank area located just two to three Kilometres south of Mallavi. According to military officials this is the first time the troops are taking control of the Vavunikulam tank area in the Mullaitivu district. The troops attached to the ‘Jaya Sikuru’ operation too couldn’t reach this location in the late 1990’s.

As troops attached to the 573 Brigade were engaged in battles in the South of Mallavi, troops attached to the 572 Brigade under the command of Lt. Colonel Senerath Bandara launched a massive assault on the earth bund in the south of Thunukkai taking control of nearly 600 metres of the earth bund area.

They have now taken control of a village called, Weaving Gama in the South of Thunukkai. Bhanu and Lakshman who are leading the Tiger cadres operating in the area are now making a desperate bid to keep the Tiger cadres on their forward defence lines, as a tendency is now developing among them to withdraw from the area in face of the troops advancing to Thunukkai and Mallavi.

Therefore, the fall of Thunukkai and Mallavi too is imminent in the coming few days as troops who have been highly motivated by their military victories are facing any kind of Tiger offensives in the Wanni liberation operation by taking it to a decisive phase by stepping into Kilinochchi district, the heart of the LTTE within the next few days.

Therefore, anybody who had any kind of suspicion about the successes achieved by the Security Forces can have a real account of the military victories within the next few days.