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| Sunday, 24 August 2003 |
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Actual story of the attack that sparked the riots Flashback: Tinneveli, July 1983 "July '83" is mainly remembered for the large-scale ethnic riots that swept through the island, but not much attention is paid to the incident that sparked the violence. Former diplomat and well-known writer T.D.S.A. Dissanayake vividly describes the insurgent attack in Jaffna that provoked the riots in his book 'The Agony of Sri Lanka', the relevant extract of which we publish here. As the crucial week end of July 23rd - 24th 1983 approached, it was increasingly clear that the TULF would decide at the annual Convention that their Members of Parliament resign their seats. In fact on July 21st, 1983 when they last assembled in Parliament, Mr. V.N. Navaratnam (TULF - Chavakachcheri) delivered an emotional farewell address and the Leader of the Opposition exchanged words with the Prime Minister on the futility of a Round Table Conference. Despite the intense political activity in Mannar on Saturday 23rd July 1983, Jaffna was quiet that day. It was in fact just another day at the Army Camp at Gurunagar. That evening Brigadier J.G. Balthazar and his staff routinely had dinner in the Officers' Mess while the other ranks had their dinner in their quarters. They then watched Television, their only recreation in the evenings. Later in the evening Brigadier Balthazar excused himself and left for his office with his Duty Officer, Major F.C.J. De Silva. He also left word for his Intelligence Offices to join him. In the privacy of his office he directed Major De Silva to activate the commandos and the special troops who were to lay in ambush of Sellakili that night. The Intelligence Officers were detailed to brief the detachment which would leave Gurunagar at 0001 hours (one minute after midnight) that night. H-hour was 0100 hours and target area was not far from Kondavil. The code name for the patrol was Four Four Charlie. Patrol Four Four Bravo was scheduled to leave Gurunagar (code name Four Four) at 2200 hours. It was a routine patrol from the C Company of the First Battalion of the Sri Lanka Light Infantry based at Madagal about 20 miles away. The patrol arrived at 2147 hours. It consisted of a detachment of 15 soldiers led by Second Lieutenant A.P.N.C. De S. Wass Gunawardene. The instructions of the Brigadier were that the patrol should be back in Madagal before 2359 hours (mid-night), if necessary shortening the prescribed route: Gurunagar - Jaffna - Naga Vihara - Nallur - Kopay - Urumpirai - Kondavil - Kokuvil - Jaffna- Kaliyan - kadu - Madagal. 2nd/Lt Gunawardene received the instructions from Major De Silva who further emphasised that the patrol must be in Madagal Camp by midnight. Four Four Bravo left Gurunagar at 2206 hours and was in radio contact every five minutes All reports indicated that Jaffna was quiet. In the meantime Sellakili who had sworn to avenge the death of Charles Anthony alias Seelan, the closest friend of Prabhakaran, had made a careful study of the Army patrols. He had observed that the maximum intensity of such patrols was between 2200 - 0200 hours, that every night they covered the main roads Palali - Jaffna, Kankesanturai - Jaffna, Point Pedro - Jaffna while covering other roads, and that the convoys travelled about 75-100 yards apart. On the night of July 23rd 1983 he deployed a platoon of about 25 terrorists in battle dress at Tinneveli on the Palali - Jaffna road, at a point where the road was dug up to instal new telecommunication equipment. Near one such excavation four mines were placed. The plunger stolen from the Kankesanturai Cement Factory was placed on the balcony of a nearby house. The wiring was then connected. Machine gun nests were placed near the exploder and across the road. The machine guns (SMG) were once the property of the Chavakachcheri Police Station. The main force, consisting of the "killer squad" and the "cut off party" was located 75 - 100 yards behind and on both sides of the road. Sellakili himself was there. Everybody was armed with SMG and repeater shot guns, also stolen from the police station at Chavakachcheri, the T - 56 Chinese assault rifle from the raid on the polling booth in Kandermadam and a SLR of Indian manufacture. Besides the "Killer squad" had with them an arsenal of home-made hand grenades. At 2328 hours the radio at Gurunagar cackled, "Four Four Bravo for Four Four. We are now leaving Urumpirai junction. Absolutely nothing to report. The town is very quiet. The Army convoy consisted of a Jeep bearing number AY 4889 and a Tata Benz half truck, 26 Sri 3193. In the Jeep was 2nd/Lt. Waas Gunawardene sitting next to the driver Private N.A.S. Manutange. In the rear seat were Lance Corporal G.D. Perera and Privates S.S. Amarasinghe, S.P.G. Rajatillake, K.P. Karunaratne. The 2nd/Lt had a SMG and the others SLRs (Self Loading Rifles). All except the driver carried a hand grenade. In the half truck was Sergent S.I. Thelakaratne in the front seat with Corporal G.R. Perera at the wheel and Private A.J.R. Fernando between them. In the rear were Corporal R.A.U. Perera, Lance Corporal Sumathipala, Privates M.B. Sunil and D.N.A.D. Manapitiya all seated, Privates G. Robert and A.J. Wijesiri standing in the lookout position. Within five minutes of leaving Urumpirai the Jeep was slowing down near Tinneveli because of the obstruction on the road due to the installation of telecommunication equipment. As it was passing the excavation on the road, the exploder set off the mines. There was a thunderous explosion, followed by a hail of machine gun fire on the Jeep and a still bigger barrage on the half-truck. Despite the concussion due to the explosion and injury sustained by machine gun fire 2nd/Lt Waas Gunawardene leapt out of his Jeep and pulled out his hand grenade. Before he could lob it he was mowed down by machine gun fire. The driver Pte Manatunge was injured by machine gun fire. He staggered out of the vehicle and was killed. The explosion had injured Pte Karunaratne, Pte Rajatillake and Pte Manatunge. They somehow scrambled out of the vehicle and attacked the enemy with hand grenades before being killed. L/Cpl C.D. Perera was probably not injured. He stormed out of the Jeep with his SLR blazing and pursued the enemy. His dead body was found quites some distance from the Jeep. On seeing the explosions around the Jeep, Cpl. G. R. Perera who was driving the half truck applied brakes sharply. It resulted in Pte Robert and Pte Wijesiri in the lookout position falling on top of the others. The vehicle came in for heavy fire from both the "killer squad" and the "cut off party" thus taking fire from four sides. it killed Cpl. Perera in the driver's seat Ptes Robert, Sunil and Wijesiri in the rear compartment and all but killed Pte Manapitiya. Sgt. Thelakaratne and Pte Fernando who were both injured scrambled out of their seat, took cover from the vehicle and opened fire on the enemy. Pte. Fernando was soon killed while Sgt. Thilakaratne kept on firing till a home-made grenade blew off one hand and all but blew off one foot. Cpl. R. A. U. Perera and L/Cpl. Sumathipala kept on firing and the latter in addition lobbed his grenade. In his dying moments Pte Manapitiya gave his grenade to the L/Cpl. Sumathipala who changed their magazines and kept on the pressure on the enemy. At one stage they alighted from the vehicle and kept on firing at the enemy in two different directions thus pinning them down. In the meantime, the radio operator at Gurunagar was constantly calling. "Four Four for Four Four Bravo can you hear me?" "Four Four for Four Four Bravo can you hear me?" At 2340 hours a message was sent to Brigadier Balthazar that radio contact with the patrol was lost and that a sentry had heard gunfire and explosions in the distance. The Brigadier who was still in civilian dress rushed into the radio room. having checked on the information he alerted the Army camps in Palali, Madagal, Thondamanar and Velvettiturai. The Brigadier then cancelled the ambush prepared for Four Four Charlie due to leave at 0001 hours and instead sent them in search of the missing patrol, Four Four Bravo. At 0009 hours the radio at Gurunagar cackled, About that time Cpl. R. A. U. Perera (subsequently given a battlefield promotion) telephoned from the Kondavil CTB Depot. Having fired till his ammunition was almost exhausted he ingeniously retreated. In view of injuries in both legs he had removed his boots, made tourniquets with the boot laces and had run to safety. He gave the exact location of L/Cap. Sumathipala (subsequently given a battlefield promotion), who likewise had fired till his ammunition was almost expended, and thereafter had retreated and was lying injured. Brigadier Balthazar and his staff rushed to the scene. On arrival they found Sgt. Thelakaratne still alive but bleeding profusely from the loss of a hand and one foot dangling from its skin. He was rushed to hospital but died on admission ... L/Cpl. Sumathipala was also rushed to hospital but was pronounced out of danger. Cpl. Perera was then despatched to hospital. Thereafter the dead were removed. Thus ended patrol Four Four Bravo of July 23rd, 1983 a day which will surely go down into the annals of history of the Sri Lanka Army. The Army can indeed be proud of this patrol which fought so bravely against fearful odds and had inflected many casualties on the enemy and had even killed Sellakili. Of those who made the supreme sacrifice for Sri Lanka the nation could proudly say, "They shall not grow old, (Next week: The afthermath in Colombo) |
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