LTTE’s waterloo in the Wanni

As most crucial battles raged in the Wanni in mid 2008, the LTTE faced its biggest ever challenge of defending their nerve centres in the Wanni as they had to fight in a huge battlefront in the West of A-9 road.

The LTTE not only failed to defend their vital bases in North Western coast, but also failed in facing the infantry troops in jungle warfare, for which they had a reputation as a guerrilla outfit.

The ground troops displayed their excellence in all types of battles with the support extended by the Sri Lanka Air Force in destroying the LTTE gun positions, military bases, and ammo dumps, The support extended by the SLAF was vital to evacuate casualties from the ground as they mostly engaged in battles in thick jungles.

By mid July, 2008 the main battlefronts in the West of A-9 were concentrating mostly on the LTTE nerve centres Thunukkai and Mallavi and the LTTE bases in the North Western coast. As explained last week the 57 Division, under the command of Brigadier Jagath Dias was concentrating on Thunukkai and Mallavi following a prolonged battle they fought in thick jungle patches.

As the battles to capture Thunukkai and Vellankulam continued the 57 Division also laid a strong foundation to liberate Mallavi too. The 57 Division GOC Major General Jagath Dias had entrusted to the 573 Brigade under the command of Lt. Colonel Prathap Thillekeratne.

Their main aim was to capture the Vavunikulam tank South of Mallavi and to capture a ditch cum bund created by the LTTE to prevent any troops’ infiltration into Mallavi town. The 3 Gajaba Regiment under the command of Major Udugama and 9 Vijayaba Infantry Regiment under the command of Major Sisira Herath along with the Special Forces troops conducted reconnaissance missions prior to launching their attack on the LTTE defences.

It was on July 22 evening the troops of the 7 Sinha Regiment under the command of Lt. Colonel Kithsiri Liyanage was asked to join with the 573 Brigade. They were operating under the 571 Brigade.

Their prime task was to join with the 3 GR and 9 VIR troops to launch a major assault on the LTTE defences in the South in the Vavunikulam area to open the gates to Mallavi when troops of the 572 Brigade under the command of Lt. Colonel Senerath Bandara were advancing towards Thunukkai nerve centre.

On July 23, Lt. Ranjan, attached to 7 SR battalion, launched an RPG attack on a LTTE tractor that was plying towards Vavunikulam tank.

During the search operation they were able to recover a 120 mm artillery mortar launched and few rounds of 120 mm mortar rounds on board the tractor. It was the first 120 mm mortar captured during the Wanni liberation operation.

It was a strong indication that the LTTE was preparing for a major attack on the troops. Therefore, 57 Division took the initiative to deploy troops West of Vavunikulam in the early hours of July 23, in a bid to take control of the Vavunikulam tank area which stretched more than ten square kilometres South of Mallavi.

They started their advance in the early hours of July 23. During this advance the 3GR defence line came under major Tiger attack compelling them to readjust their defences. The 7 SR troops were asked to take control of the area and advance into Tiger base.

As they advanced into the area, they intercepted a Tiger communication. Pallavan, the area leader was asking one of its cadres to bring one important file from the Tiger base West of Vavunikulam.

Ambush

With this information the 7 SR troops laid an ambush in the area to detect the Tiger movement. A Tiger cadre, who was carrying this file in a motorbike, was targeted by the 7 SR troops. The ambush was laid by Captain Buddhika and they recovered Pallawan’s CDMA telephone, his motorbike, one important file which included large number of LTTE targets in the South especially in Hambantota area and more than 50 maps.

It was after this initial attack that the LTTE was aware of the presence of the troops West of Vavunikulam tank area. Earlier they were concentrating only on the fighting that was going on in Vavunikulam tank bund area where Special Forces troops were engaged in a fierce battle with the LTTE in that front. In the evening, the LTTE, after noticing the presence of the troops West of Vavunikulam, sent reinforcement to the area. Heavy fighting broke out in the area on 23 evening around 7 pm. The 7 SR defence line was also breached by the LTTE.

However, they managed to readjust the defences. It was during this confrontation that the area leader Pallavan also entered the area. The LTTE was fighting desperately to defend one of their major bases and were asking artillery and mortar support. As this fighting was going on troops managed to communicate with Pallavan as they were in possession of code words they found from the important file they recovered.

It was around 4.30 a.m. on July 24 Pallavan tried to come out from the Tiger base. At this point 7 SR troops laid an ambush to detect him.

Heavy fighting broke out as Pallavan made a desperate attempt to flee from the area. As all his efforts failed they reached closer to the defences of the 7 SR troops in a do or die battle.

At this point Sergeant Major Adhikari from the Charlie Company of the 7 SR laid an ambush in the area and asked not to fire artillery and mortar into the area. At 5.15 a.m. in the morning Warrant Officer Adhikari and his team was able to detect Pallavan and his team. This non commissioned officer from Kuliyapitiya area, few days prior to his retirement fought fearlessly with the LTTE, chased behind them until he saw all of them killed.

After a fierce battle Pallavan and three others were killed. Then Lt.

Ratnayake and a team joined with Adhikari and went after Tiger cadres operating there. At the final count they managed to count 23 cadres killed in the area. They also recovered the pistol of Tiger leader Pallavan who was in the self styled rank of ‘Lt. Colonel’ their night vision equipment.

The following day 9 VIR troops deployed in the area for search and clear operation also recovered another 8 bodies along with their arms and ammunition.

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 accomplish the task of securing Vavunikulam tank area located just two to three kilometres south of Mallavi.

The Tiger base located there was later identified as 5-4 in Cheeraddikulam area. Six soldiers were killed and 13 others suffered injuries in this battle.

That was the decisive battle that was fought in the troops battle to capture Mallavi. However, following this defeat LTTE strengthened its defences in Mallavi fearing that troops would soon advance into the area.

The 572 Brigade, which was focusing their attention towards Thunukkai, took advantage of this situation to launch a major assault on Thunukkai to liberate it from the clutches of the LTTE.

Following this battle, LTTE was deprived of the stretch. The troops of the 58 Division also managed to reach upto Vellankulam taking control of the Mankulam-Vellankulam Road from Vellankulam to Thunukkai.

Then troops of the 57 Division once again concentrated on the capture of Mallavi town which was of tactical and political importance for the LTTE.It was on September 2, 2008 troops attached to 7 Sinha Regiment under the command of Lt. Colonel Kithsiri Liyanage moved into Mallavi town from the South of Mallavi after reaching Mankulam Vellankulam Road from the ninth mile post. Their move into the Mallavi town came with the troops attached to 572 Brigade capturing Alankulam village north of Thunukkai which gave the depth to the Mallavi town.

Troops, following their entry into the centre of the town as dusk fell on September 2, 2008 where Tigers had their “Eelam” flag before their capture, raised the National Flag to the thundering applause of the brave soldiers, belonging to 7 Sinha Regiment, 3 Gajaba Regiment and 9 Vijayaba Infantry Regiment who fearlessly took part in the offensive under 573 Brigade.

Fierce rounds of fighting that lasted till September 2 morning in the areas inflicted heavy casualties on the LTTE as high as some forty Tigers dead and similar numbers injured.

The LTTE had built a bunker line with filled sandbags along the main corridor of the well-equipped Mallavi Base Hospital complex of which more than three spacious rooms had been used by Tiger terrorists as their administrative centres.

The hospital complex with more than thirteen big buildings, including marble-tiled wards was seen without hospital beds since most of them had been taken away by Tigers for metal work or production of explosives before troops rolled in.

Mallavi town centre, which functioned as a big commercial hub on the Mullaitivu district border, had remained a fully-fledged township with two rural banks, Bank of Ceylon, People’s Bank, Ceramic Factory, large bakery with three huge ovens, Water and Electricity Board buildings, Sub Post office and more than forty big business centres.

With the capture of Thunukkai and Mallavi towns, the troops of the 57 Division achieved the major task entrusted to them and headed towards Kilinochchi nerve centre step by step.

As 57 Division was making those moves, the 58 Division under the command of Brigadier Shavendra Silva also made great strides in the Wanni liberation as they were able to reach Kilinochchi district border for the first time in the Wanni liberation operation as they moved into Mulankavil town on August 12, 2008.

Advanced

The troops attached to the 11 Sri Lanka Light Infantry Battalion under the command of Lt. Colonel Senaka Wijesuriya and 6 Gemunu Watch Battalion under the command of Lt. Colonel Kamal Pinnawala advanced into this widely spread township along the A-32 Road after Vellankulam and after passing the Mannar Kilinochchi district boundary on August 12.

The 11 SLII troops advanced into Mulangavil from the West of A-32 Road while the 6 GW troops advanced from the East of A-32 Road. Prior to capturing this territory the 583 Brigade under the command of Lt.

Colonel Suraj Banshajaya captured Kalekuda jetty which was used by the LTTE to launch their small craft into the sea. Capture of Mulangavil was a great shock to the LTTE as they lost one of the large cemeteries where their heroes were burried.

What was most important was that the real situation faced by the LTTE was divulged with the capture of this cemetery as there were more than 500 graves dug within two months ahead of the capture of the town. Apart from the Mahaveer cemetery, the LTTE also had its National Stadium where they celebrated annual Mahaveer celebration with the participation of their senior leaders.

The capture of Mulangavil also marked the loss of one of their vital administrative bases in the North Western coast. Well-built LTTE offices were found within the vicinity of Mulangavil. Being a fertile land Mulangavil had also been used by the LTTE to cultivate vegetables needed to feed their cadres.

But it was not from the voluntary contribution of the civilians living there in the Kilinochchi district but getting them to work in those cultivations against their wishes. Therefore, the capture of Mulangavil greatly affected the LTTE in many ways. It was after capturing these important locations West of A-9 Road that the troops of the 57 and 58 Division headed towards the most crucial and challenging task ahead of them in their bid to capture the most important LTTE strongholds Pooneryn and Kilinochchi. The LTTE hurriedly created an earth bund from Nachchikuda in the North Western coast to Murikandy in the A-9 Road in the immediate south of Kilinochchi in their bid to prevent the troops entering into Kilinochchi and Pooneryn.