For what is left of the fight for Kilinochchi, the Tigers have now
deployed cadres from their battle hardened units such as Charles Anthony
and Imran Pandiyan, along with wounded cadres from previous battles, who
have not fully recovered. The severe shortage of cadres they are facing
is said to be another reason for the growing problem of desertions
 
The Tuesday night Tiger air raid on the Thalladi camp in Mannar, the
main regional military base of the Army for many years, and the
Kelanitissa power station, and the ease with which its primitive
aircraft got away was a tremendous psychological victory for the enemy,
much more than any physical damage caused. But its euphoria was
short-lived, when the Army completed a series of successes on the ground
the following day, after several days of intense engagements.
The air raid also proved that no self respecting government can rest
without going all out to wipe out such threats, despite whatever
pressure exerted by Tiger proxies from across the Palk Strait.
Breathing down on Kilinochchi
The result of the Tiger ground debacles was that not a hum was heard
from the LTTE mouthpiece, the Tamilnet, even by Friday, of the capture
on Wednesday of Nachchikudah and Jayapuram by the 58 Division, and the
fall of the Akkarayankulam Bund to the 57 Division the same day. And not
even the fall of their Akkarayankulam- Murukandy defence line a day
earlier. Ironically, Tamilnet’s reports on the battlefield were limited
on Friday to a story about two artillery shells falling on Kilinochchi
Town, which they headlined “Kilinochchi town under artillery barrage”
and an alleged air strike on some houses there the same night.
Akkarayankulam Tank bund was the eastern end of the impressive
ditch-cum-bund defence line constructed by the LTTE from Nachchikudah,
to halt the advance of the security forces. The Army fought bitter
battles with the Tigers in the last few months to overrun this defence
line. By the previous week, the Army had completely overrun the rest of
it, but the LTTE resisted the capture of the tank bund, throwing
everything they had, including repeated gas attacks on troops attempting
to capture it. With the fall of the Akkarayankulam Tank Bund, the
western flank of the Kilinochchi town is now open to the troops. Tigers
have lost many cadres in attempting to oust soldiers who overran many of
their positions on this line, by sending waves of attackers to dislodge
them.
With the fall of Nachchikudah and Jayapuram, some units of the 58
Division is now only about 10 kilometres from Pooneryn, the last major
Tiger held position in the northwest, and with its fall, the capture of
the A-32 coastal highway would be complete, opening a direct and
unopposed link to the peninsula. Incidentally, Jayapuram is said to be
the second biggest town in Kilinochchi.
As we said last week Kilinocchchi, the de facto LTTE administrative
capital, being a prestige target, the Tigers have obviously marked every
tree, rock and any geographical location in this area, for them to rain
in artillery, once troops reach any particular spot. So, if the troops
persist in taking Kilinochchi town immediately, they will be exposed to
taking many casualties. On the other hand, they can bypass this
symbolically strategic town for the moment, as they earlier bypassed
Nachchikudah and return later, after taking out most of their mortar and
artillery positions. It is also the reason for LTTE supremo, Velupillai
Prabhakaran, to boast this week that, the capture of this town should be
considered a pipedream by the Army. But, at the same time, this is also
what even many a pundit sympathiser of the LTTE predicted of the Army
getting anywhere near the Wanni heartland.
Tigers turn tail
With the latest key battlefield successes, the security forces have
scored some unforeseen bonuses as well, by way of a sudden spike in
desertions from Tiger ranks. It appears that Tiger cadres, who, hitherto
fought bravely, have finally begun to see the futility of further
sacrifices at the behest of the megalomaniac leading them, and, at
least, one group of their deserters have fled to India this week, while
engaged in evacuating the wounded from Nachchikudah by sea. According to
intelligence, the desertions include a group of about 30 Sea Tigers.
There have also been reports of a group of deserters exchanging gunfire
with some of the cadres sent to apprehend them.
New Division
Things will only get more difficult for the striped variety in the
coming days, with the Army Commander Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka now
scheduled to induct a fifth fighting Division into his drive to capture
Wanni. Brig. Sathyapriya Liyanage was appointed this week to command the
new Task Force 111, which will be the Army’s 63 Division. Out of six new
Divisions formed since Gen. Fonseka assumed command, five of them are
fighting Divisions and this will also be the fifth to be inducted into
battle against the Tigers by him. There are two Brigades coming under
the new Division. They are 63-1 and 63-2. Lt. Col. Priyantha Perera is
in command of 63-1 Brigade. Till now, he has led the 7th Gemunu
Regiment, which is part of the 59 Division advancing towards Mulaithivu
from Weli Oya. 63-2 Brigade is commanded by Lt. Col. Subashana Welikala,
who, till now, led the 4th Sinha Regiment, that had been facing the
brunt of the fighting in the drive to Kilinochchi, with the 57 Division.
The new Task Force 111 too, is expected to go into action in the
Kilinochchi District, supplementing 58 and 57 Divisions already there.
Tigers can also expect decisive action from the 53 and 55 fighting
Divisions placed in Muhamalai and Nagarkovil in the peninsula anytime
now. 53 Division, led by Brig. Kamal Gunaratne and 55 Division, led by
Brig. Prasantha de Silva, are expected to breakthrough formidable
defences placed by the LTTE in these narrow strips of land, to march on
the mainland.
Last Saturday, around noon, an Army sniper felled the Tiger leader
commanding their FDLs in Muhamalai. ‘Lt. Col’ Thinthilan (Padmarajan
Malanraj), killed by the sniper, had been in command of the area for
less than six months.
Though, virtually, all the fighting went the forces’ way this week,
there were some unexpected casualties suffered by the Army, especially,
in the Muhamalai area, due to sporadic artillery and mortar fire, which
claimed the lives of three soldiers and caused injuries to few others,
but the retaliatory fire would have exacted similar, if not greater toll
on the enemy. On Wednesday, a Tiger mine also blasted a tractor carrying
military personnel at Nachchikuda, killing two soldiers and injuring
four others.
Army advances
It was the 3rd Gajaba Regiment, under the command of Maj. Sanjaya
Fernando, that finally captured the Akkarayankulam Tank Bund on
Wednesday. Tigers held off attacking troops for months at this point,
before finally capitulating that day.
On the previous day, 9th Gajaba Regiment, led by Lt. Col. Sisira
Bandara, overran the final defence line of the Tigers covering
Kilinochchi town from Akkarayankulam-Murukandy stretch. The final push
to overrun this stretch, that began at 5:45 am, was completed within 45
minutes.
The LTTE, in vain, sent four waves of attacks to dislodge 9th Gajaba
troops from the area, to no avail. Later, intercepted Tiger
communications revealed that, they had lost more than 40 cadres in this
single battle. Seven soldiers too, lost their lives.
The following morning, the LTTE made another abortive attempt to regain
this ground, at a cost of 26 more cadres,
Meanwhile, troops of 57 Division, massing in locations on the southern
periphery of Kilinochchi town, are said to be in sight of roofs and
telecom towers of the town. The town it self is within 81 mm mortar
range of troops.
For what is left of the fight for Kilinochchi, the Tigers have now
deployed cadres from their battle hardened units such as Charles Anthony
and Imran Pandiyan, along with wounded cadres from previous battles, who
have not fully recovered. The severe shortage of cadres they are facing
is said to be another reason for the growing problem of desertions.
The 12th Gajaba and 5th Signal Corps captured Nachichikudah, which the
LTTE held onto for months, despite being surrounded at least on three
sides. The 10th Gajaba retook Jayapuram.
Hit and run
The 58 Division, this week, while speeding up its advance towards
Pooneryn, with the fall of Nachchikuda and Jayapuram, also intensified
small team operations behind enemy lines. The 2nd Commando Regiment,
under Lt. Col. Jayantha Balasuriya, and the 3rd Commando Regiment, under
Maj. Anil Samarasiri, staged at least 20 ambushes on the Pooneryn Road
and in Kiranchi and Valappadu regions. Among the targets taken were two
double cabs, two armour plated vehicles, a tractor and motorcycles used
by Tiger area leaders and those providing escort to Tiger leaders.
Gajaba Regiment’s silver jubilee
Tomorrow marks a very important day for the Gajaba Regiment as it
celebrates its silver jubilee. In its short history, it has served the
nation with distinction. Founded by late Maj. Gen. Wijaya Wimalaratne,
even Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa had valiantly led a unit of
this regiment during the Vadamarachchi operation in 1987. It has
produced a crop of talented officers, who are now leading the battle
against the LTTE in several fronts. Commander 58 Division, Brig.
Shavendra Silva, Commander 53 Division, Brig. Kamal Gunaratne, Army’s
Director Operations Brig. Udaya Perera, Special Forces Commander Nirmal
Dharmaratne and the Commander of the newly created Presidential Guard
Brig. Jagath Alwis, are among the officers from this Regiment.
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