Army finalise re-deployment plan:

No arrangements to set up separate regiments based on ethnicity :

The tales of arms recoveries expose terror plans that never saw results

The unending recoveries by the military now engaged in search and clear operations are now exposing the magnitude of the terror operations the LTTE had planned to execute against the Security Forces to reach their goal of Eelam during the Eelam War IV, which began in the year 2006 with the closure of the Mavil Aru anicut but ended with the total elimination of the LTTE from the Sri Lankan soils.

It is amazing to note that each and every square kilo meter in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts have been turned into armouries of the LTTE, with the speedy advance of the ground troops into their territory with the fall of Kilinochchi and Paranthan.

Those armouries filled with state-of-the-art weaponry are now being unearthed by the troops in the last terrain they held during the final stages of the battle.

The Tiger cadres who had surrendered to the Security Forces are divulging all the vital information to the intelligence sleuths to expose the true picture of the LTTE as they are aware that the LTTE is no more.

It was one such Tiger cadres who volunteered last week to divulge vital information about an LTTE armoury in Suthanthirampuram. He gave an important location in Visuamadu where the LTTE had buried one of their vital assets.

On receipt of this information Task Force 8 troops under the command of Colonel G. V. Ravipriya now deployed in Puthukudiyiruppu area commenced searching a Teak plantation to locate the place where LTTE had buried those vital weapons.

The troops had to dig more than 12 feet depth to find what was buried inside that pit. Finally, the Task Force 8 troops unearthed two big torpedoes with their launcher.

The two torpedoes, each 26 ft in length and 5 ft 7 inches in circumference remained neatly wrapped in polythene when the troops made this startling recovery. The torpedo’s launcher of 28 ft in length and 5 ft 10 inch in circumference had also been kept buried by Tiger terrorists in the same vicinity to be used at appropriate time.

Troops found these long bombs that can be exploded under the water when the vessel hits them from four different pits in the same location. One of the warheads of a torpedo has been kept separately dismantled for reasons, best known only for former terrorists.

According to the Wikipedia, the modern torpedo (historically called an automotive, automobile, locomotive, or fish torpedo) is a self-propelled explosive projectile weapon, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater toward a target, and designed to detonate on contact or in proximity to a target. The term torpedo was originally used for a variety of devices, most of which would today be called mines. However, from World War I onwards, “torpedo” only applied to an underwater self-propelled missile. Torpedoes are also colloquially called “fish” or, in the German Navy, “Aale” (eng.:eels).

While the battleship had evolved primarily around engagements between armoured ships with large guns, the torpedo allowed torpedo boats, other lighter surface ships, submersibles and aircraft to destroy large armoured ships without large-caliber guns, though sometimes at the risk of being hit by longer-range shellfire.

Today’s torpedoes can be divided into lightweight and heavyweight classes; and into straight running, autonomous homers and wire-guided ones. They can be launched from a variety of platforms.

Security Forces are now conducting investigation as to how the LTTE had planned to use these torpedoes against the Naval vessels which were operating in the North Eastern sea belt. However, this is very clear indication that they have been preparing for massive terror plan at the last stages of the war but had to abandon many of their plans due to speedy advance of the ground troops into their territory.

They had to make a hasty retreat leaving all their vital assets in the areas like Visuamadu, Suthanthirmapuram and Puthukudiyiruppu.

Following the recovery of these torpedoes, Security Forces are also now investigating how they have purchased those torpedoes and the way they have brought them to Sri Lanka.

It was in early 2007, the Sri Lankan intelligence agencies received reports that the LTTE had acquired torpedoes and loaded into a LTTE ship called Mathsisuma in the Persian seas. Following this information, the intelligence agencies tried to locate the ship Mathsisuma in the international waters but it took sometime for them to locate the ship. According to Tiger cadres who had divulged vital information regarding these torpedoes, the LTTE had brought them to Sri Lanka somewhere in July 2007 in a barge after being shifted from the LTTE ship.

It was the period the intelligence agencies were trying to locate the LTTE ship and it is believed that they somehow managed to unload some of their military cargo into Sri Lanka after transporting them in medium size vessels and boats.

It was in September 2007, the intelligence agencies were able to locate the ship in the international waters close to Indonesia enabling the Sri Lanka Navy to destroy that ship on October, 08, 2007.

The 70m long vessel had a displacement of 3,000 tons. There were 12 to 15 LTTE cadres on board the vessel at the time it was destroyed.

That was the 08th vessel of the LTTE’s arms smuggling fleet destroyed by the Sri Lanka Navy. According to Navy the ship, was transferring long range artillery rounds, high-speed water scooters, sophisticated diving apparatus, outboard motors, radar and global positioning (GPS) equipment, high power transmission equipment and communications interception equipment for the LTTE at the time it was destroyed.

Investigations are now focused on as to how LTTE had purchased these torpedoes as international laws permits legitimate Governments to sell these torpedoes only for state actors. The place of origin of these torpedoes is yet to be ascertained and investigations will be conducted to ascertain from which country the LTTE had purchased them.

However, the recovery of torpedoes, the mini submarine and the huge boats fitted with 2,500 Kg of explosives in Chalai, Puthumattalan and Vellamullivaikkal areas at the latter part of the battle very clearly indicate that they were in preparation for massive sea battle for their survival but the speedy momentum of the ground troops advance had disrupted their plans.

The prime aim of the LTTE was to target the troops carrier Jet Liner in the North Eastern sea but those plans had gone in drains due to speedy advance of the ground troops and also due to the opening of the A-9 road to Jaffna enabling the convoys to reach Jaffna via land route.

It was not only torpedoes; the Task Force 8 troops also were able to find a complete 130 mm artillery gun without wheels during the same search operation. Earlier troops recovered three more 130 mm barrels from the west of Puthukudiyiruppu, and the northeast of Visuamadu and six 130 mm artillery guns from Puthukudiyiruppu, Anandapuram and Mullaitivu, including two guns destroyed by the LTTE in Vellamullivaikkal.

It is interesting to note that it was not only the weaponry the Security Forces are also unearthing millions worth assets of the innocent Tamil civilians during these search operations.

It was on Thursday the Task Force - 8 troops came across another large stock of gold jewellery that had been kept hidden by the LTTE in the East of Puthukudiyiruppu. The stock contained 852 bangles, 188 small bangles, 20 damaged bangles, 26 bangle parts and one bracelet. Most of the bangles, made into 5-7 piece bunches had been neatly kept hidden.

This was the second consignment of jewellery recovered by the Task Force 8 troops. Earlier on June 23, the Task Force 8 troops recovered this jewellery stock from a demolished building in Puthukudiyiruppu.

Sri Lanka Army, conducting analytical investigations into this gold jewellery stocks uncovered from Puthukudiyiruppu areas have found that all those jewellery pieces had been apparently pawned to the so-called former “LTTE Eelam Bank” in that area.

Task Force - 8 troops participating in clearing and mopping up operations in Puthukudiyiruppu area at present came across 8709 packets that contained a wide assortment of gold jewellery, including necklaces, bangles, ear rings, chains, etc. According to Army, each packet has carried a duplicate receipt with names and other details of the pawning party after the original one has been issued to the owners at that time.

Sri Lanka Army, following names and addresses found in those packets has already sent detailed reports to Wanni military authorities, instructing them to trace whereabouts of those owners for subsequent possible return of their valuables.

Therefore, the Army troops now engage in search and clear operations have displayed their exceptional discipline when tracing the properties of the innocent civilians snatched by the LTTE whilst displaying their commitment to expedite the process of clearing the entire area for the speedy resettlement of the displaced civilians in the places of their origin.

As these search operation are going on the Government this week announced its plan to increase the strength of the Security Forces by another 50,000. It is a prerequisite for the Government to increase the strength of the Security Forces to keep abreast with the liberation of the land and the sea area after the total elimination of the LTTE from the North and East.

The extent of area that has to be patrolled by the Army in the North and East has been increased by six fold with the fully liberation of the North and East whilst entire sea belt in the North East has also been opened up for the Navy.

So it is inevitable to increase the number of personnel in all three Forces to cater to the current requirements and to prevent any terror organization raising its ugly head, once again.

But the Government has totally ruled out the possibilities of the setting up of separate Regiments in the Army for different ethnic groups or for the ex-militants who had joined the Sri Lanka Army.

However, it has opened doors for any citizen irrespective of their ethnicity and religion to join the Sri Lanka Army and serve the country.

The ex-militants from the Karuna faction will be enrolled to the Army but will be deployed along with other troops without allocating them to separate regiments. The biggest ever batch of Army officers, consisting 281 officers were to pass out yesterday at the passing out parade at the Diyatalawa Military Academy.

They were recruited under Regular Intake 66, Volunteer Intake 46 and the Short Service and Commission intake 14,15 and 16 of the Lanka Army.

A number of officers were trained in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh as the Military Academy in Diyatalawa had no capacity to train such a huge number of officers at once.

Sri Lanka had to sought assistance from these three countries as it urgently required to train these officers to cater to the expansion of the Sri Lanka Army within the short period of time.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Army has finalized the deployment of troops in the Vanni and in the North with the establishment of two Security Forces Headquarters in Kilinochchi and Mullaitvu.

According to latest deployment plan 57 Division under the Command of Brigadier Rohana Bandara, Task Force 8 under the command of Colonel G. V. Ravipriya, Task Force 3 under the Command of Colonel Athula Wijesinghe, Task Force 5 under the command of Colonel Athula Galagamage and Task Force 6 under the command of Colonel Channa Kodithuwakku have been attached to the Security Forces headquarters Kilinochchi commanded by Major General Channa Goonatilleka.

The 59 Division under the command of Brigadier Chargi Gallage, Task Force 2 Commanded by Colonel Jayantha Gunaratne, Task Force 4 under the command of Colonel Nishantha Wanniarachchi and the Weli Oya Area Headquarters have been under command to the Security Forces Headquarters Mullaitivu commanded by Major General Nandana Udawatta.

The 61 Division under the command of Brigadier Nissanka Ranawana, 21 Division under the command of Brigadier Senaka Wickremaratne, 56 Division under the command of Brigadier Priyantha Napagoda and the Mannar Area Headquarters have been under command to the Wanni Security Forces Headquarters commanded by the Major General Jagath Jayasuriya.

The 55 Division under the command of Brigadier Prasann de Silva has been attached to the Jaffna Security Forces Headquarters commanded by Major General Mendaka Samarasinghe.

The 53 Division under the command of Major General Kamal Gunaratne and 58 Division under the command of Brigadier Shavendra Silva will remain as reserve Divisions under the direct command of the Army Commander and will be deployed in Kokavil and Paranthan respectively.