VIPs advised to strictly adhere to security measures

Tigers set to take many targets:

by Ranil WIJAYAPALA

The ground realities in the Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu battlefronts have put the LTTE in total dilemma. In the main battlefront, the Tiger outfit is about to lose their de-facto capital Kilinochchi.

From the Pooneryn front, the 58 Division is now heading towards their final goal to capturing the huge earth bund whilst the 59 Division is now heading towards the LTTE military stronghold Mullaitivu, again capturing another huge earth bund in the West of Nayaru lagoon.

For the LTTE all these three locations are top most priorities.

They were main strongholds of the LTTE from its inception, apart from Jaffna. Losing any of these strongholds would be a defeat to them.

The pride of the LTTE would go forever once they lose control of Kilinochchi. In the same way, they will lose their links with outsiders once they lose the stretch up to Pooneryn in the North Western coast and the stretch in Mullaitivu in the Eastern coastal line.

Therefore, the LTTE is now facing difficulty in choosing their top most priority as all their strongholds are under threat as they fear that the Muhamalai front will also come under threat from the troops operating there very soon.

It is inevitable that the LTTE will lose their de-facto capital Kilinochchi as troops are operating from a distance less than two kilometers to the outskirts of Kilinochchi facing stiff resistance from the well trained hardcore Tiger cadres.

Troops are now engaged in the exhausting task to reach Kilinochchi overcoming all sorts of mine fields, booby traps, frequent gas attacks to overrun their heavily fortified bunker lines constructed on huge earth bunds to defend Kilinochchi.

The onset North East monsoon rains are also expected to lash the battlefront as signs of monsoon rains have already been witnessed on several occasions within the past few days in the Kilinochchi battlefront, but easing the effect from the frequent gas attacks from the LTTE.

Tiger leadership continued to pour their cadres into these three major battles in Kilinochchi in the East and West of Akkarayankulam, in the Nachchikuda front and in the Mullaitivu front, taking maximum use of their reserve battalions as they are aware that no other battles will be left for them to defend their so-called Tamil Eelam after their defeat in Kilinochchi.

But the casualty rate on the LTTE, which is comparatively high these days, would decide whether they can continue to pour their cadres from other fronts to defend Kilinochchi as they have to thin out their presence in other fronts to reinforce the Kilinochchi front.

Theepan and Bhanu have already decided to stop drawing cadres from the Muhamalai front to Kilinochchi and Pooneryn fronts fearing that troops would advance from that direction too towards Kilinochchi.

It was with the fear that losing of any of these grounds would be a severe blow to them at this juncture. But time is not so far for them to give up two of these fronts to hang onto their already shattered Tamil Eelam dream.

Troops attached to the 572 Brigade, which was under the command of Colonel Senerath Bandara, is now operating just one and half kilometres in the South West of Kilinochchi.

The 572 Brigade has now been taken over by Lt. Colonel Dhammika Jayasundera as Colonel Senerath Bandara is due to visit India for a Senior Command course for a brief period after a hectic task undertaken by him in the 572 Brigade for the past one and half years.

The 8 Sri Lanka Light Infantry Battalion under the Command of Lt.Colonel Epsitha Dissanayaka was able to capture 300 meter stretch of huge earth bund that has been constructed by the LTTE from East to West from Iranamadu to North West of Kilinochchi side.

Troops detected this earth bund last week once they were advancing along Akkarayan-Murikkandi Road. This earth bund is separated from the earth bund that has been constructed from Nachchikuda to Akkarayankulam. This new earth bund has been constructed North of Akkarayankulam from East to West direction to cover the Kilinochchi front.

In Monday’s fighting 17 LTTE cadres were confirmed killed and 9 others reportedly injured. There were three waves of Tiger cadres to push back the troops from the earth bund firing gas canisters but failed in all their attempts as troops are strongly holding this stretch of earth bund.

The LTTE continued to launch gas attacks targeting the troops operating in the forward defences. Amidst this resistance, troops are poised to further expand their areas along this newly captured earth bund which stretches for nearly 10 to 11 kilometers.

On Friday troops attached to 3 Gajaba Regiment under the command of Sanjeewa Fernando, launched an assault on this earth bund to further expand the stretch captured by the 8 Sri Lanka Light Infantry Regiment.

Troops from the 4 Sinha Regiment, under the command of Lt. Colonel Subashana Welikala is also ready to link up with the 8 SLII troops to further expand the control over this earth bund amidst heavy resistance from the LTTE.

Meanwhile, the 571 Brigade under the command of Colonel G.V. Ravipriya is also operating in the West of Akkarayankulam posing a major threat to the LTTE.

The newly formed 574 Brigade under the command of Lt. Colonel Senaka Wijesuriya and 573 Brigade under the command of Lt. Colonel Prathap Thillekeratne are holding the ground parallel to the Jaffna - Kandy A-9 Road from Mankulam to Murikandy in the South of Iranamadu.

The LTTE has not been given any room to operate on this stretch of A-9 road though troops have not taken control of the road. The 7 Sri Lanka Light Infantry battalion operating in Kokavil South area laid an ambush and attacked a Canter truck which was transporting troops from the direction of the West of A-9 Road.

Another truck issuing meals to the Tiger cadres operating close to the A-9 Road also came under attack of the 7 SLII troops on Friday too.

In the same way the LTTE has also laid heavy mine fields preventing troops from reaching the A-9 Road as they are aware that there will be deadly effects on them if they leave the A-9 Road for free movements of the troops.

With troops attached to the 57 Division heading towards Kilinochchi, troops attached to the 58 Division, under the command of Brigadier Shavendra Silva, has made progress in the North East of Nachchikuda with troops advancing further Northwards from the earth bund captured from the East and West of Vannerikulam.

The 58 Division has further expanded their control over this ditch cum earth bund in Kambivelliyavillu, Pandiveddiaru and Maniyankulam areas.

From the earth bund troops have advanced four kilometers Northwards and operating just 10 kilometers south of Pooneryn in their bid to open another gateway to Jaffna.

The advance of the troops along this stretch is a big blow to the LTTE as they are going to deprive the supplies from this stretch of coast line in the North Western coast. Intelligence reports indicate that the LTTE had unloaded arms and ammunition stocks from Valaipadu area in the North of Nachchikuda.

Therefore, the Sri Lanka Navy has a vital role to intensify their patrolling in the remaining coastal belt in the North Western coast to starve the LTTE of arms and ammunitions at this vital moment in which infantry troops are making headway to Kilinochchi sacrificing their lives and limbs to defeat the LTTE.

We should appreciate the vital role played by the Navy by destroying ten Tiger ships within short span of time depriving the LTTE of vital military hardware.

Their role is vital at this juncture too since they have the capacity to make bring the arms and supplies to the zero level as the land areas are restricted to the LTTE to land their boats carrying arms and ammunition.

Amidst this situation the 59 Division now operating in the South and West of Nayaru lagoon South of Mullaitivu captured two Kilometres stretch of ditch cum earth bund in the West of Nayaru lagoon created in a huge open terrain.

The 7 Gemunu Watch battalion under the command of Lt. Colonel Priyantha Perera captured 20 to 30 heavily fortified bunkers line along this stretch of earth bund after a fierce battle with the LTTE.

The LTTE has also constructed this earth bund similar to the earth bund that has been constructed by the LTTE from Nachchikuda to Akkarayankulam.

The only difference is that this earth bund has been created an a open space unlike in the Nachchikuda front.

With the capture of this stretch of earth bund troops are now poised to open their gateways into Kumulamunai area in the south of Mullaitivu and to completely take control of the Nayaru Lagoon depriving the LTTE of another vital section in the Eastern coast.

It was amidst military pressures from the three major battle fronts in the Wanni that the LTTE is now trying their desperate tactics in the South targeting the politicians and VVIPs. Major General (Rtd) Janaka Perera, who was the Opposition Leader of the North Central Provincial Council, his wife Vajira and few UNPers were among the 30 people who fell victims to the suicide blast that took place on Monday morning.

Major General Janaka Perera (Rtd) and the crowd were attending a function to open the new UNP office in Anuradhapura when this suicide cadre in his late twenties entered the premises and unbuttoned his shirt and blew himself up killing at least 22 people on the spot.

The death toll has now risen to 30 with few other critically injured people succumbing to their injuries by yesterday.

Nearly 85 people sustained injuries in this suicide blast.

The Sri Lanka Army was scheduled to accord a full military funeral for the departing General who had been a fearless officer in the Sri Lanka Army becoming one of the biggest challenges to the LTTE during his career in the Army.

His achievements in the battlefront still remain unmatched as he set the record killing more than 400 tiger cadres within an day when his Army camp came under LTTE attack in 1995.

He was also instrumental in turning the tide against the Security Forces in the year 2000 in which the Tigers pushed the military defences to Jaffna town limits putting the Sri Lankan Government in a embarrassing situation.

Whatever, political party he represented at the time of his death the nation is mourning the an death of one of the fearless Army officers who is departing the nation due to the ruthless act of a LTTE suicide cadre at a time the country is at the doorstep of defeating the LTTE.

The LTTE seems not satisfied with taking the life of Major General (Rtd) Janaka Perera.

They continued their efforts to take another life on Thursday too deploying one of their female suicide cadre targeting motorcade of Agriculture Development Minister Maitripala Sirisena who was returning from Vap Magul ceremony in Bandaragama.

Minister Maitripala Sirisena had a narrow escape as he followed the instructions of his security officials as he changed the vehicle on his return journey. The female suicide cadre had jumped onto the vehicle in which Minister Sirisena travelledtowards Bandaragama to attend the Vap Magul ceremony.

Therefore, there is confirmed evidence to say that the suicide cadre had been tipped off about the vehicle used by the minister beforehand.

Apart from this, intelligence reports also indicate that there had been several other suicide cadres deployed in different locations expecting the motorcade to take alternative routes on its return journey.

Amidst this situation, the Security authorities have advised all politicians to refrain from attending unnecessary functions and to adhere to the instructions of the security personnel in charge of their security.

Further, they have taken steps to issue threat assessments gathered by intelligence authorities to the respective VVIPs so that they can effectively understand the threat to their lives.

These decisions have been taken as possibilities are very high for the LTTE deployment of many suicide cadres to destabilize the South at a time all their strongholds are under threat in the final battle now unfolding in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu.