Fall of Pooneryn triggered LTTE downfall

If there was a slow progress in the Wanni liberation operation in the first two months of the last quarter of the year 2008, the speediest momentum in their march towards Tiger stronghold was reported in the month of November following the capture of the huge earth bund built by the LTTE to defend their strongholds.

This massive earth bund was fully captured by the 58 and 57 Division troops by November 01, clearing their path towards the most strategic LTTE strongholds Pooneryn and Kilinochchi.

After Pooneryn and Kilinochchi came under striking distance of the 58 and 57 Division troops under the command of Brigadier Shavendra Silva and Major General Jagath Dias, the LTTE had to think of new strategies to defend their strongholds.

They had to contemplate between Pooneryn and Kilinochchi as Pooneryn was a strategic base for them whilst Kilinochchi was a prestigious stronghold they had defended for more than two and half decades.

President Rajapaksa, who gave leadership to win the war against terrorists, pictured with security forces personnel in the North.

But they were not in a position to defend both strongholds. Apparently the LTTE concentrated more on Kilinochchi, but made their full attempt to defend Pooneryn till the last moment.

By this time the LTTE was facing its worst experience in the two and a half decade long conflict the as Sri Lanka Army continued to form more and more offensive battle formations and deployed for the Wanni Liberation operation.

Apart from the Task Force II which was operating in the South West of Mankulam the SLA also formed another offensive battle formation, Task Force III under the command of Brigadier Satyapriya Liyanage and deployed on the South West of Kilinochchi and given the task of heading towards Mankulam from North South direction.

Apart from this the 59 Division which was operating in the Mullaitivu jungles also made a speedy progress after fierce battles they fought in the Mullaitivu jungles.

Therefore the LTTE was facing its worst ever experience by this time and were not in a position to manage their cadres to fight with all these battle formation. This situation compelled the LTTE to make hasty retreat from the areas they were holding once ground troops marched in to their territory.

With the clearing of all the obstacles, especially after capturing the Tiger defence line from Nachchikuda on the Western coast to Akkarayankulam in the South West of Kilinochchi, the troops of the 58 Division made a speedy progress towards the North encompassing the Mannar-Pooneryn A-32 road and giving a depth to Kilinochchi front too from the Eastern flank.

As they were operating in the village of Jeyapuram, the last main village on the A-32 road to the extreme west of the Kilinochchi district by October 29, and the capture of Nachchikuda fishing point on the A-32 road the 58 Division backed by Commando troops created a wider front to make their way to Pooneryn. Although, it could easily march on the A-32 Road towards Pooneryn, they were much concerned about clearing the entire area South of Pooneryn in their bid to liberate the entire Pooneryn town.

The capture of the Akkarayan build up by the 571 Brigade under the command of Colonel G.V. Ravipriya on November 5, 2008 also contributed lot for the march of the 58 Division towards the North as the LTTE was distanced from their Eastern flank too due to this move.

Whilst one battle formation was marching through an open terrain infected with thorny bushes, another battle formation under the 58 Division made its way along the A-32 road.

But they have to concentrate on the Triangular land mass in the West of A-32 Road which was a famous smuggling point of the LTTE. The LTTE kept their sea line of communication with South India after the fall of their major Sea Tiger bases, Silavathura, Viddathaltivu and Nachchikuda.

After the capture of Nachchikuda troops attached to the 58 Division after many days of tactical fighting, liberated Kiranchi which was in the Devil’s Point area to the west of A-32 road on November 10, 2008.

The LTTE used this point to launch attacks on the Security Forces when they were making attempt to capture Nachchikuda.

Kiranchi was the first Tiger stronghold crushed by the troops on their way towards the tip of the Devil’s Point that facilitated movements of Sea Tigers. After the capture of Kiranchi, the 58 Division troops on November 13, brought the entire triangular Devil’s Point to the West of A-32 road.

Following the fall of Devil’s Point the land stretch along the A-32 road was freed of the LTTE, enabling the troops to march further up towards the LTTE stronghold, Pooneryn.

It was after reaching the 8th mile post that troops, once again had to pass many natural barriers such as marshy lands, open terrain and water ways.

They confronted heavily with the LTTE in the South of Sempangundu where the troops were able to kill 17 Tigers.

The 2 Commando troops played a key role when passing those natural barriers amid stiff resistance from the LTTE. The LTTE made use all of these natural barriers to prevent troops entering into Pooneryn.

Though, the area was so difficult troops managed to reach closer to the Pooneryn-Paranthan Road from the East of A-32 Road amidst stiff resistance from the LTTE. Having reached closer to Pooneryn-Paranthan B-65 road, forward domination teams from the two battalions from the Commando Brigade, 2 Commando and 3 Commando Regiment and one squadron from the Special Forces clearly took the lead in their advance towards the Pooneryn-Paranthan Road.

It was on November 14 evening they were given orders to hit the Pooneryn-Paranthan Road and thereby reach Pooneryn junction to capture the whole area.

To achieve this task they awaited for days having observed the Tiger movements along the Pooneryn-Paranthan Road. Many speculations and rumours were spread in the South hinting that the hundreds of soldiers were killed due to LTTE fire.

Many rumours were also spread saying that the fall of Pooneryn was kept a secret after it being liberated few days back.

But the actual situation was completely different from those wild rumours. Orders to capture this strategic stronghold were given only on November 14 evening.

First it was the 2 Commando and 3 Commando troops who entered the Pooneryn-Paranthan Road. Around 4 am in the morning on November 15 they just walked along the road and reached Pooneryn town early in the morning with lesser resistance from the LTTE.

Few remaining cadres who could not escape fought with the troops and they chased away by the commando troops. All the infantry battalions which were operating closer to the Pooneryn-Paranthan Road in the great marshy land entered into road fully securing 11 Km road stretch of the road.

The good news about the capture of Pooneryn, the last Tiger bastion in the North Western coast was conveyed to President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the Security Council meeting held on the same day. The weekly Security Council meeting was held on that day as President Mahinda Rajapaksa was away from the country to attend the BIMSTEC Summit in India. It was good news for him as the general public had kept faith in his predictable words about defeating LTTE terrorism very soon.

With the capture of Pooneryn, the Government of President Rajapaksa has very clearly proven his ability to achieve what he has promised to the entire country and global community who are very closely observing the developments on the battlefront in what was described as the fight against the most ruthless terror outfit in the world.

Capturing Pooneryn by that time was akin to reaching more than 90 per cent of the war as it linked the separated parts of the country which had been divided due to the control of Kilinochchi by the LTTE without leaving any room for the Security Forces of the country to reach Jaffna through a land route.

By this time the Security Forces were not aware of the LTTE’s strong fighting capabilities in the East of A-9 road.

It was after a psychological operation that the troops were able to reach Pooneryn to link the southern part of the country through a land route as LTTE fully concentrated on Kilinochchi the de-facto capital of the LTTE with troops closing in on Kilinochchi and operating some one and half kilo metres south of Kilinochchi.

The troops of the 58 Division has dramatically advanced nearly 90km from Vavuniya-Mannar Road to reach Pooneryn, ending their road facing the Jaffna lagoon and clearing land route to Jaffna peninsula after 20 years.

The capture of Pooneryn relieved more than 90 per cent of the remaining task of the troops to liberate areas under the control of the LTTE in Jaffna peninsula and also in Kilinochchi North towards Paranthan.

With this move the troops attached to the Wanni liberation operation created a solid foundation to direct their long range artillery into Muhamalai, Kilali, Pallai, Elephant Pass and Champiyanpattu areas for the first time from the Southern direction.

Following the capture of Pooneryn and stretch of Pooneryn-Paranthan Road just ten days prior to the so-called heroes day of the LTTE, troops also poised a major threat on other LTTE strongholds too.

Just 48 hours after the capture of the Pooneryn the troops attached to the 59 Division operating in the Mullaitivu jungles also made yet another strategic move capturing Kumulamunai village which was the prime target of the 59 Division after the capture of the 1-4 base complex. Kumulamunai, 10 Km south of Mullaitivu was captured by troops in the early hours of November 17, 2008 under the command of Brigadier Nandana Udawatta.

The 7 Gemunu Watch battalion under the command of Lt. Colonel Chaminda Lamahewa and 11 Gemunu Watch Battalion under the command of Lt.Colonel Priyanka Fernando of the 593 Brigade commanded by Colonel Jayantha Gunaratne completely captured the village after a fierce battle with the LTTE. Kumulamunai was the first settlement after the massive Andankulam forest reserve in the south of Mullaitivu. Troops of the 59 Division first entered this strategically important village a week back after crossing a massive open area and capturing a bunker line covering the Thannimurippukulam - Kumulamunai road.

Troops of the 59 Division also took control of a part of the Mulliyavali village west of Kumulamunai and next to the Nagacholai forest reserve on the same date.

It was not only Kumulamunai, the Task Force III troops operating from North to South direction on the strategic A-9 road in the South of Kilinochchi also made a landmark victory on November 17 after taking control of strategic Mankulam town.

Task Force III troops under the command of the Brigadier Satayapriya Liyanage marked their highest achievement capturing the strategically important key junction town of Mankulam on the A-9 road.

Troops of the 631 Brigade under the command of Lt. Colonel Priyantha Perera advanced into the key junction town by 2.15 p.m. on November 16 having cut off the Olumadu junction, on the Mankulam-Oddusudan Road amidst stiff resistance from the LTTE.

Mankulam is a key junction on the A-9 road with roads leading to Mullaitivu to the West, Vellankulam to the East, Kilinochchi to the North and Omanthai to the South. The Security Forces lost control of this key four way junction in 1999 after the ‘Jaya Sikuru’ operation which aimed at opening a land route to Jaffna.

With these landmark victories, the Security Forces laid a solid foundation to their march towards other key strategic bases of the LTTE.