Nothing impossible

Story of will power and courage of our soldiers:

By Dhaneshi Yatawara

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It was the day before our departure from Jaffna peninsula. As usual, we were extremely curious, trying to grab the best at maximum during the four days. Thinking back surely we wanted more - nothing to seriously worry it was just the sheer nature of our kind of character.

While my colleague was clicking away at every object coming across his sight (with gratitude to the state-of-the-art technology for bringing in digital cameras with its endless memories and chips), I had the best opportunity to speak to a cross section of the brave young men protecting the Northern Front Lines from the terrorist menace.

“Tigers surely can’t fight face to face with us now. We are always vigilant and we are monitoring their each and every move. We study their movements with our own eyes,” troops of the 4th Gemunu Watch told us while we were talking to them that afternoon.

What Capt. Sujeewa Perera, Capt. Jayantha Dikkumbura and Lt. Janaka Anton told us during our discussion, was written on the faces of every soldier we met and spoke to.

We see the result in our neighbourhood in the Southern parts of the country but we do not see this absolute bravery of these valiant soldiers. They are our ‘Knights in shining armour’.

At the Northern Front

At present the 53 and 55 divisions at the Forward Defence Lines in Muhamalai and Nagarkovil, under the able guidance of the Commander of the Security Forces, Jaffna, Major General G. A. Chandrasiri, have gone beyond the LTTE line strongly holding the position posing a great threat to the enemy.

“Our troops are making it impossible for the LTTE to stay in their positions,” Gen. Chandrasiri told us.

Eight months after his posting as the Commander of the Security Forces in Jaffna, Maj. Gen. Chandrasiri faced a crucial turning point, on the 11 August 2006. It was the decisive factor of the overall security system of the peninsula.

At that time A9 road was open from Muhamalai Entry-Exit point since it was the ceasefire period, the Jaffna Commander said. Around 5.30 in the evening on the 11 August the LTTE attacked the Muhamalai FDL. “Their attack was severe and was a surprise one too but with clear-cut guidance, determination and strength we never allowed the LTTE to achieve their goal.

Exactly within a month troops of the 55 division managed to recapture our territory and within just four months Jaffna security forces restored normalcy in the area, after going through a hard battle. It was surely a well deserved victory. A victory that made them realize their actual potential giving them courage and determination to march forward, strategically and effectively.

By late evening that day there were about 1000 enemy cadres attacking, stretched along the total width of the narrow passage to the Jaffna peninsula, which is approximately seven kilometers.

“The LTTE fired about 75 rounds of artillery to the Jaffna Security Forces HeadQuarters on the same day and within two to three hours they were out on a major attack,” Maj. Gen. Chandrasiri added recalling the past.

Anyway, we were ready as we were continuously carrying out rehearsals to face any challenge and hence though they were able to surprise us for one or two hours we managed to restrict them coming further, he said elaborating the battle in detail to us.

“By next day we found that they were concentrating only on the entry-exit point on the main road, the Kilali side and the Kadolana side North of A9 road.

“With solid leadership from the Commander of the Army we were by no means ready to give up and betray our country. May be that the LTTE expected us to withdraw and surely we understood by their communications that they never expected such a massive retaliation from us. It was a total surprise to the Tigers,” Maj. Gen. Chandrasiri said.

From the horse’s mouth

They have had the first-hand experience of this thick battle they had faced.

Their effort could not be a great success since the initial force from the LTTE on all fronts was the same.

At the time of the enemy attack troops of the 4th Gemunu Watch battalion were deployed in the immediate North and South of the entry-exit point and further North towards Kadolana 4th Gajaba Regimental battalion was holding the positions and South of A9 (beyond 4GW) was held by troops of the 4th Sri Lanka Light Infantry regiment, up to the Kilali lagoon.

Just before the attack started the International Red Cross team, located in the No Man’s area between the two lines let in the last civil passenger bus enter into the entry-exit point of the Army troops and closed the entrance.

No sooner the bus entered,the LTTE started firing a rain of artillery and mortar fire towards the Army defence lines and simultaneously Tigers disguised as civilians seated in the last bus started firing. Troops, for few minutes, were sandwiched in between.

At 5.45 p.m. Sri Lankan Army troops faced the LTTE attack using small arms, artillery, mortar and RPGs on Kilaly, Muhamalai and Nagarkovil Army defences. As observed approximately 1500 LTTE cadres started attacking the lines.

As it was during the Ceasefire, the Army had kept their arms and ammunition locked up in a separate store room and officers and soldiers assigned to the entry-exit point were not carrying weapons, except for those deployed in bunker lines.

At the same time LTTE was attacking the Palaly Hospital, airfield, gun positions and other important installations. The LTTE was firing artillery and mortar from Sorampatthu, Pallai and from Pooneryn - coma point.

As the time passed by in that dreadful evening, troops were able to hold on to their C-pen line (the line before the 2nd Defence line) without letting the enemy to infiltrate. Having to face the strong repulse from the Army, Tigers were mainly concerned about the Northern and Southern corners of the FDL and the Muhamalai entry-exit point.

Around 11.25 in the night Sea Tigers launched an attack towards the Kilaly lagoon. In the wee hours of the next day Army troops started recapturing the lost bunkers.

Few hours later troops were able to capture the abandoned bunkers and the lagoon front in the South of A9 and started to recapture the defence lines North of A9 and the entry-exit point.

The ultimate challenge

Warrant Officer I Pushpakumara who was then with the delta company of the 4GW explanation gave a clear picture of the unbelievable strength of our valiant soldiers. Pushpakumara’s duty was to supply food, water, weapons and ammunition to his officers and colleagues holding the bunker line.
 

Soldiers ate their meals keeping them in their trouser pockets without losing their eagle eye kept on the enemy. They never gave up. As the fighting was going on reinforcement of troops was happening *ad infinitum.

Apart from the battalions mentioned above 5GW, 6GR, 1 and 5 VIR (Vijayaba Infantry regiment), and 1 SLLI along with Commandos were in the battle front backed up by the Armed Corp with their strong and accurate artillery and mortar fire. (Writer mentioned the battalions after extensively inquiring from the Commanding Officers of all levels and by any chance if a group has been missed it is merely an ommission but not discounting their efforts.)

On 12th August Sea Tigers landed at Kayts Island and secured a beach head and it is reported that approximately 1000 LTTE cadres were involved. The Army started firing indirectly at the approaching LTTE boats and there landing points at high intensity. Hence, LTTE boats had to withdrow.

Commandos were sent in as reinforcements to Kayts and immediately established blocking positions. Later when the LTTE withdrew, the Army carried search and clear operations.

Till 16th indirect attacks were fired when on the 16th evening the LTTE attacked the FDL at the Kilaly front and simultaneously Sea Tigers launched an attack from the lagoon side. Still troops were holding the rest of the line very strongly.

Lieutenant Sanath Weerasinghe who is now in the 3rd Mechanized Infantry regiment or better known as 3 mac infantry was another valiant soldier who faced the attack. With his experience in the Army for over seventeen years, he said the secret behind their victory is speed and cover. “We moved swiftly from place to place,” he added.

Along with Staff Sergeant Priyankara, Corporal Jayasinghe, Lance Corporal Bandara, Lance Corporal Priyantha Kumara and Private Wimalasena (few of his team deployed with him now) were in the battle. “Enemy came in waves. They were quite inexperienced as they came in a large group not tactically. They were attacking from wherever they can. So they lost many cadres,” Lt. Weerasinghe added.

Moving forward

By 25th August troops started capturing the entry-exit point at Muhamalai. At 08.45 in the morning troops led an assault on the FDLs and by 9.45 completed the recapture of the entry-exit point and consolidateding its position. Another battalion we had the chance of speaking to, was the 6th Singha Regimental battalion led by Colonel Kapila Udulupola which came as reinforcement.

Soldiers of the battalion explained that the obstacle they faced then, was the enemy line being located at a slightly elevated position. Hence they were able to see troops’ movements easily.

At present SLA soldiers have chased away the LTTE from that line and continue to do so. On the 26th Sea Tigers attacked the FDLs from Nagarkovil - Point Pedro sea front. By 7.15 pm 15 LTTE boats were detected by security forces’ radar moving towards Point Pedro. In about an hours time LTTE boats were engaged by heavy artillery fire.

Sri Lanka Navy’s fleets of Dwora were deployed north of Point Pedro to block the LTTE boats and three clusters of LTTE boats were engaged by them. By 09th September SLA troops successfully captured the LTTE 1st defence line. The LTTE lost 498 cadres and 1135 wounded. During the last two years the total number of LTTE cadres killed, was about 1000.

“The strength and morale of the soldier to go forward while his colleagues on the either side die or get wounded is remarkable. Victory not at all impossible with such soldiers,” General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 53 division Brigadier Kamal Gunaratne said.

Brigadier Gunarathne was the former GOC of the 55 division and the Commander of the Air Mobile Brigade - the group that played another vital role in capturing the defence lines in the attack.

Since then troops of the Jaffna Security forces have captured approximately another kilometre beyond the former Forward Defence Lines and waiting for the green light to further march forward.