Troops capture strategic areas in its advance to Madhu

Army Chief briefs President:

At the Security Council meeting held on Friday morning, Army Commander Lt. General Sarath Fonseka was due to brief President Mahinda Rajapaksa about the progress of the battle to liberate Wanni from the clutches of the LTTE.

For this Army Commander Lt. General Sarath Fonseka made special arrangements to bring in Jaffna Security Forces Commander Major General Chandrasiri, General Officer Commanding (GoC) 57 Division Brigadier Jagath Dias, GoC 58 Division (Mannar) Brigadier Shavendra Silva and GoC 59 Division (Weli Oya) Brigadier Nandana Udawatta for this Security Council meeting held on Friday morning in Colombo.

President Rajapaksa was keen to hear from the field commanders about the progress of the battlefront in Wanni. He was much interested about the Madhu battlefront and was keen to know how long it would take for the troops to take control of Madhu.

General Officer Commanding 57 offensive Division in the West of Vavuniya, who has now been promoted as a Major General replied to the President that they are doing their best to take control of Madhu before the New Year. The President was extremely happy about the progress of the battlefronts and then asked them what they required in the battlefront adding that the Government is ready to fulfill all the requirements of the troops.

The President was also worried about the increase of casualties among the troops but field commanders explained the difficulties they are facing in the battlefronts due to the prevailing rainy weather conditions in the Wanni battlefront, which had made the task before the troops a difficult one.

Great success

But amidst all these difficulties troops have been able to achieve greater successes in the Wanni battlefront and this correspondent was able to assess the real progress of the battlefront in a five-days visit to the Weli Oya, Vavuniya and Mannar battlefronts.

What Major General Jagath Dias predicted would become a realistic assessment in the backdrop of troops advance into Madhu area in three fronts within this week.

Yet, there is a danger behind any hasty decision to advance into Madhu area as LTTE is trying their best to stop the troops advance by directing mortar fire towards the troops taking the cover of the Madhu 'No Fire Zone', which extends up to four square kilometers.

But troops have been extremely careful in handling the battle in this sensitive area by taking diversionary tactics to take control of the area without using any firepower within the 'No Fire Zone' despite attempts by the LTTE to provoke the Security Forces.

If heavy fighting erupted in the Madhu area the LTTE will no doubt use it as a political issue and also to bring international pressure on the Government to hold the military offensive in the Wanni. So troops must be aware of the sensitivity of keeping their feet into this sacred area.

At present the entire Madhu area has been surrounded in three fronts leaving room for the LTTE to withdraw from the West of Madhu area.

Vital move

The capture of the villages Periyapandivirichchan and Sinnapandivirichchan in the South of Madhu and South East of Madhu can be considered a vital move as a prelude to capture the sacred Madhu shrine area.

Periyapandivirichchan was the village located just two kilometres of South East of Madhu along the Piramanalankulam-Madhu road which connects to the Vavuniya-Mannar road via Piramanalanakulam. Troops are now operating just 1.8 Kilometres away from the edge of the 'No Fire Zone' and in full control of the Periyapandivirichchan village.

Troops of the 572 Brigade also took control over the Sinnapandivirichchan village in the South of Madhu in their bid to isolate the Tiger cadres operating in the Madhu shrine area.

Meanwhile troops attached to the 571 Brigade too advanced further towards Palampiddi in the North of Madhu junction taking full control of the Mullikulam village and capturing Keerisuddan area.

Troops made these advances amidst heavy rains as they do not want to give time for the LTTE to relax and adjust for the battle by constructing new defence lines. It was the practice of the LTTE to take cover of this rainy weather conditions for their advantage and hit back the Security Forces, but now they have to face the challenge posed by the Security Forces to keep their territory intact.

But intelligence sources indicate that they are not in a position to face this situation at all as they are running short of food and other requirements especially manpower to defend their Forward Defence Lines.

However, troops have observed that the LTTE is making use of increased firepower against the advancing troops compared to the past few months. They are suspecting either the LTTE was using artillery and mortar reserved for a decisive battle or they have unloaded a stock of ammunition by sea.

Both these factors are valid in the current context of the battle as they have already been engaged in a decisive battle in Vavuniya, Mannar and Weli Oya.

Imaginary Tamil Eelam

As theatres of all battles have shifted to decisive areas in the imaginary Tamil Eelam map there is no other option for the LTTE but to make use of its available resources to defend their territory.

In this context it can be believed that the LTTE is using the remaining firepower against the ground troops advancing towards Wanni in three fronts. But in the same breath we cannot reject the fact that the LTTE had unloaded an arms and ammunition stock to Wanni.

The last Saturday incident in Mullaitivu was a classic example that the LTTE is trying their best to increase its presence in the sea, with the objective of transporting arms and ammunition to Wanni.

It is true that LTTE never depends on one strategy for their supplies.

The destruction of the fleet of ship by the Sri Lanka Navy could not be the end of their arms smuggling operations. They must be depending on some other methods to obtain their supplies internationally.

It was in the backdrop of Indian Defence authorities taking tough measures to control the LTTE arms smuggling crossing the India-Sri Lanka International Maritime Boundary Line.

According to press reports Vice Admiral Ram Prem Suthan, Vice Chief of Naval Staff designate of the Indian Navy sternly warned all Indian fishermen not to enter the territorial waters of Sri Lanka as the LTTE can make use of the presence of the Indian fishermen to cover up their arms smuggling racket.

Never fired

Vice Admiral Suthan said the Sri Lankan Navy has never fired at Indian fishermen inside the Indian territorial waters, referring to allegations that some fishermen have been fired at by the Sri Lanka navy. So the incident at Nayaru lagoon could have been a part of their plan to take control of the sea area in Mullaitivu in the absence of the Indian border for their arms smuggling racket.

Through such incidents the LTTE can restrict the free movements of the Naval troops in the North Eastern seas, especially in the Mullaitivu sea belt.

Though investigations have not yet confirmed what had exactly transpired on Saturday early morning it is not a factor to boost the image of the LTTE whether it was an underwater suicide attack or a sea mine explosion.

Whether it was a suicide attack or a sea mine explosion the Sea Tigers proves that they no longer can take the upper hand by facing a face to face attack in the sea. They have been reduced to a status to launch only guerrilla type of attacks either taking the cover of the fishing vessels or suicide attacks.

Increased surveillances

But the Navy will have to increase its surveillances in the sea as all efforts taken by the ground troops to liberate Wanni will go in the drains if the LTTE is given a chance to increase their firepower.

In the same way the Sri Lanka Air Force will also have to continue its successful role for the next few months too, to destroy Tiger gun positions and ammo dumps, if the ground troops to achieve its target with a minimum casualty rate.

It was with all these aspects in mind the Tiger leadership is currently engaged in tactics to delay the troops advance into the Tiger territory by constructing defence lines one after the other and creating mine fields to inflict maximum casualties to the ground troops.

This has been evident from the trench defence system they have adopted in the Mannar battlefront and also in the Vavuniya battlefronts. They can easily take cover from the artillery and mortar attacks of the troops once they get into neck high trenches in the Mannar front which is basically an open battlefront with a huge extent of fallow paddy lands and abandoned tanks.

Apart from this the bunkers had been constructed using massive stocks of timber logs, destroying forest reserves in Mannar. The Tiger cadres can take cover even from air attacks using these bunkers laid with thick layers of timer.

These trenches dug by the Tiger cadres have turned into natural booby traps due to the heavy rains prevailing in Mannar these days as the troops will be drowned in if they accidentally fall into these trenches.

But troops overcame all these obstacles when the 12 Gemunu Watch battalion under the command of Lt. Colonel Harendra Dunuwila and 6 Gemunu Watch battalion under the command of Lt. Colonel Kamal Pinnawala took control of the Tiger defence line between Uyilankulam Adampan road and Uyilankulam Andankulam road killing more than 40 Tiger cadres and recovering Tiger dead bodies.

Major blow

It was a major blow on the LTTE as it never expected this type of attack from the Security Forces under bad weather conditions. With these successes in the battlefront the Security Forces have now proved that they are capable of fighting the enemy in any weather condition.

The basic factor behind this was the high morale of the Security Forces with the winning trend they followed for the past few months without losing a single ground in the Mannar front.

But the Mannar front has also become sensitive not only due to this situation but also due to the arrival of civilians from the uncleared areas to cleared areas after crossing the sea belt across Vidathalthivu.

As troops have already advanced closer to Vidathalthivu and also surrounding strategic Adampan town the possibility of a civilian exodus to flle Tiger held areas is very high.

According to General Officer Command of the Mannar Area Head Quarters Brigadier Channa Goonatilleke the number of civilians arriving in Mannar was on the increase during March. Over 120 civilians belonging to 42 families have arrived in Mannar through Pallimunai Navy point within this month alone.

For the first time a Grama Sevaka and school teacher also arrived in Mannar fleeing the Tiger grip. They have paid at least Rs. 150,000 for the boat ride from Vidathalthivu to Pallimunai.

These civilians have arrived from Vidathalthivu, Kilinochchi, Nachchikudah, Pooneryn South and Vellavelankulam.

The current developments in all the battlefronts are expected to achieve their highest victories in the coming weeks fulfilling hopes and aspirations of the people living in Wanni and also in the South.