Troops progress despite rains

The bad weather conditions coupled with the torrential monsoon rains created a lull in the battlefronts, both in Wanni and the North as the entire Wanni was flooded for the past six days particularly after three days of incessant rains poured into the area along with stormy winds caused due to disturbances in the Bay of Bengal.

The entire battlefront was hit by a logistical nightmare as all the supply routes were cut off due to floods, compelling the troops to depend on ration packets for the past few days as supply of fresh meals became a nightmare as many of the containers, trucks and even fuel transporting bowsers toppled as they drove through flood-hit roads.

Even after five days the Mannar-Pooneryn A-32 Road was inaccessible for the troops who were going on leave and also for the troops returning after their vacation as convoys were not operational for the past few days.

Many of the troops returning to their respective Divisions, Brigades and battalions were stopped at the Medawachchiya Roadblock as they could not be transported to Pooneryn along flood hit A-32 Road and also towards 57 Division in the Kilinochchi front.

More than 30 locations were inundated on the A-32 Road for the past five days and only on Friday it became accessible for buses and other light vehicles.

It was after many efforts with the support of the troops that I too along with our photographer Rukmal Gamage and driver Buddhika Kumara came out of Pooneryn after being stranded there for more than five days since Monday and living with the 2 Commando Regiments under the command of Lt. Colonel Jayantha Balasuriya and Major Saman Perera taking care of our requirements.

The five-day experience we had at Pooneryn gave us a strong feeling about the commitment and the sacrifices the troops were making in the battlefront amidst immense difficulties especially under the bad weather conditions.

Though it was a different experience for us it was a harrowing one for the troops who were manning the Forward Defences amidst torrential rains and stormy winds at a crucial period in which LTTE is trying their best to breach Security Forces defences.

They were engaged in a commendable task braving neck deep floods, manning defences even without a fresh meal for days. Even ration packets were not available to them as they were marooned in floods. But their fellow soldiers and officers did their utmost to see that they are provided at least with ration packets as many troops on three to four-day missions are fed with ration packets. Even officers commanding the troops spent sleepless nights as they lost communication with them who were marooned in the front lines.

In the Pooneryn-Paranthan front thousands of troops were marooned in the front lines as the causeway in Nivil area cut off the battlefront from the battalion headquarters. But troops crossed this causeway taking sacks of ration packets on their shoulders to feed their fellow soldiers marooned in the front lines until a heavy vehicle drove across this causeway taking supplies to the troops on Thursday.

Many officers and troops manning those defences returned after their feet got affected by muddy waters as they were unable to remove their boots for days.

The 57 Division front in the South and West of Kilinochchi , Task Force III operating in Mankulam-Oddusudan Road and the 59 Division operating in the Mullaitivu front were also hit by the floods in the same way.

According to the sources, the Jaffna front was the worst hit by the flood and the cyclone as large numbers of troops were marooned in Thanankilappu area as they were strengthening their positions in view of the Mahaweer Week. However, a number of troops were reported missing as they were engaged in rescue operations.

In the 57 Division also some troops went missing in floods and only one body was recovered few days after they were reported missing.

However, amidst all these obstacles troops were committed to keep their conquered territories intact without allowing the Tiger cadres to exploit the adverse weather conditions to breach the Security defences in the Wanni and the North. In the 58 Division front mainly focused on the Pooneryn-Paranthan Road troops made one attempt last Sunday to breach the earth bund that has been constructed by the LTTE across the Pooneryn-Paranthan Road and upto South of Kilinochchi towards Iranamadu. The earth bund stretches more than 18 Kilometers covering the Kilinochchi front from the North, West and South of Kilinochchi. Though, 2 Commando troops successfully breached the Tiger earth bund at the dawn of Sunday, killing at least seven Tiger cadres, the infantry troops holding the earth bund could not stick to it due to stiff resistance from the LTTE and therefore withdrew towards their original defences.

However, the 574 Brigade operating in the South of Kilinochchi made a successful attempt to capture a section of earth bund in the Murikandi area opening a gateway to Kilinochchi.

Yet, the capture of Kilinochchi is not a cake walk for the troops until they manage to reduce the Tiger strength at least by another one thousand cadres. As declared by the Tiger leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran in his so-called annual heres’ day speech on November 27, they are now engaging in a serious war in their Tamil homeland with the Security Forces.

According to intelligence reports some 2,300 cadres are deployed in the Kilinochchi front alone, from Paranthan to Kilinochchi South and they are strongly holding the Kilinochchi front as it has become a do or die battle for them after losing their stronghold in Pooneryn and are on the verge of losing the Jaffna defences.

Now troops are engaged in an effort to create a huge front from Paranthan upto Alampil in the Eastern coast in the South of Mullaitivu.

This huge front will be created after 58 Division troops reach Paranthan junction on the Pooneryn-Paranthan Road whilst 53 and 55 Division in the Muhamalai and Kilali fronts were advancing to the South up to Paranthan across Elephant Pass and Champianpattu. But the task has to be completed amidst stiff resistance by the LTTE as this plan is obvious for the LTTE cadres operating there in Jaffna front and also in the Paranthan area.

That will be a huge task for the depleted LTTE as they have been hit by huge manpower shortage at present.

In the Mullaitivu front also the LTTE is facing a huge threat as their strongholds are targeted by the advancing troops.

The massive front against the LTTE would be created once the 59 Division troops are linked up with the Task Force III troops in Oddusudan on the Mankulam-Mullaitive A-34 Road.

The Task Force II troops operating in the South of Mankulam and Mallavi are due to advance upto Mankulam covering the entire area from Omanthai to Mankulam and Oddusudan.

Once the troops have successfully accomplished these tasks they will definitely be encircled in the area demarcated from the Paranthan-Mullaitivu A-35 Road from the North, A-9 Road from the West, Mankulam-Mullaitivu A-35 Road from the South and the Eastern coast from East.

Then the battle in the Wanni will definitely be turned into a do or die battle for the LTTE under these circumstances. The only defence now they are having is the civilian population entrapped in Wanni.

Therefore, it is hard to believe that the LTTE will allow the civilians to reach cleared areas very soon.

As troops are making a determined effort to defeat the LTTE in the Wanni, it is pathetic to note that some disgruntled political elements are trying to demoralize the troops by devaluing their successes in the battlefront.

They were instrumental in spreading wild rumours that large numbers of troops were killed in Pooneryn and Muhamalai battlefronts recently and Pooneryn fell back to the LTTE in a counter operation. But the troops, operating in the battlefront took these unwarranted criticisms lightly and dedicated to their sacred mission of freeing the coutnry from the scourge of LTTE terrorism.

If not for our gallant forces the entire country would have to face the same situation as the Indian Government is confronted with by terrorists who attacked more than 20 locations in the Indian commercial capital, Mumbai during the past few days.

Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa vehemently condemned the brutal terror attacks on Mumbai.

Therefore, it is pathetic to hear a senior politician of the calibre of former Minister, Mangala Samaraweera criticising the efforts made by the Security Forces to crush the LTTE terrorism and also his remarks on the Army Commander Lt. General Sarath Fonseka.

It is reliably learnt that they were supported by a section of Security Forces personnel who are totally baffled by the successes of the troops in the battlefront and were in the process of feeding these disgruntled politicians with false information targeting the heads of Security Forces.

Their primary aim is to target Army Commander as he is the key player behind all these military successes.

What these disgruntled elements do not understand is that they are losing the support of the common masses who are strongly backing the Security Forces’ effort to defeat the LTTE and also they are unaware of the fact that they are incurring the displeasure of more than 300,000 Security Forces personnel and undervalue their sacrifices made on behalf of the nation.

They are trying to disrupt the efforts of the Security Forces with malicious political agendas, as they are aware that there is no political future for them if the Government successfully achieves the objective of solving this national issue by defeating the LTTE and providing a political solution to the burning issues of the Tamil people.