The 58
Division this week came across a Tiger
training camp for airmen. A ten feet
long plane had been gutted by the
fleeing LTTE. It is believed that it was
destroyed when the LTTE found it
difficult to move it to a safer
location. Troops also found bombs made
for the LTTE’s Zlin aircraft, and a
German book on manufacturing those bombs
was also found |
Heavy fighting was reported yesterday from
several parts of Pudukudyirippu, as the troops moved
into the last bastion of the LTTE from several
directions.
The 14 Gajaba Regiment of the newly established Task
Force VIII under the command of Col G.V. Ravipriya
and the 14 Vijayaba Regiment of the 53 Division
under Brig. Kamal Gunaratne were advancing from the
south of this last major town held by the Tigers,
while Brig. Shavendra Silva’s 58 Brigade was moving
in from other directions.
Army Commander Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka said that the
advancing forces entered the town on Friday from the
south and by then the enemy area of control had been
reduced to 45 sq. kms.
As the war front got reduced, Brig. Rohana Bandara
led Task Force II, was withdrawn from combat
operations and redeployed to the rear as a reserve
unit.
Accordingly at present, only 58 Division, the Task
Force VIII and Task Force IV under the command of
Col. Nishantha Wanniarachchi are in the
Pudukudyirippu front for the final battle. The Task
Force IV too is scheduled to be redeployed to the
rear defence. A regiment of the 53 Division too is
in the Pudukudyirippu front.
The 55 Division under the Command of Brig. Prasanna
de Silva will continue the advance south from Chalai
along the coastal belt and the 59 Division under
Brig. Nandana Udawatta, from Wadduwakal in
Mullaitivu.
Meanwhile, the LTTE continued their attacks with
122mm artillery guns from the 12-km strip of safe
zone demarcated for civilians along the Mullaitivu
beach.
“We have identified from where they attack. They
have installed artillery guns in the neutral zone
for the civilians. However, we will not retaliate so
as to avoid civilian casualties,” said a senior
military official.
Earlier, LTTE leaders mingled with the civilians in
the Pudukudiruppu neutral zone, to prevent military
operations. Under the circumstances, military
operations in the area were at a slow pace last
week. However, the security forces (SF) intensified
operations to take Pudukudyirippu, on the
instructions of the Army Chief, after the civilians
moved to the present neutral zone declared from
previous Thursday.
Maj. Gen. Jagath Dias who was seconded to the 59
Division during the short lived massive assault
launched by the LTTE in the run up to the
Independence Day to recapture Mulaitivu Town, has
returned to the Command of his 57 Division having
completed his assigned task.
Because of the dedication of the heroic forces who
fought valiantly to beat back the waves of attacks
launched by the terrorists on Independence Day, the
last major attempt of the Tigers to turn the war
around too was foiled.
Meanwhile the 57 Division troops having combed areas
recently liberated by them have recovered large haul
of arms and ammunition, including claymore mines.
It is believed that the LTTE leaders now trapped
mainly in the small area outside the civilian safe
zone are planning to carry out a series of suicide
attacks during the final showdown. Intelligence has
been received about Black Tigers being trained for
this task. However, the Security Forces are prepared
to face what ever the desperate enemy is ready to
throw at them.
As we exclusively reported last week, security
forces’ eyes in the sky, the UAVs have confirmed
that weapons and Sea Tiger attack craft are being
buried in the Mulaitivu beach.
The 58 Division also liberated Ampalavan Pokkanai
town by Friday (20).
The Ninth Gemunu Watch, Sixth Gemunu Watch, and the
Tenth Infantry Regiments that commenced their
operation on February 19, captured the 12 square
kilometer area with LTTE camps.
After the capture of Sugandirapuram by the 58
Division last week, the only three towns still under
the LTTE were Pudukudiruppu West, Pudukudiruppu East
and Ampalawan Pokkanai.
The 11th Infantry, Tenth Gajaba, 12th Gemunu, and
Seventh Sinha, Regiments that stormed Pudukudyirippu
West, captured the area by the evening of February
19, killing 17 terrorists. Intercepted LTTE messages
confirmed that 38 LTTE cadres were killed during the
previous day’s confrontations.
Pudukudyirippu West, separated by a tank in the
shape of an arch, had been protected with bunkers.
The SF that entered from the north of the arch broke
into the LTTE defence line and occupied
Pudukudiruppu West and Ampalawanpokkanai area.
The Pudukudyirippu West region along the A-35
Paranthan Mulaitivu Road covers an area of about 3.5
kilometres.
The SF recovered the bodies of 42 LTTE cadres during
the confrontations that lasted four days. They
recovered five bodies on Friday alone.
“We recover ten bodies of the enemy a day. However,
the kill rate is about 25 per day. The LTTE leaders,
who each controlled an area of hundreds of square
kilometers, are today, in charge of one square
kilometer each. Bhanu, Theepan and Swarnam have been
appointed to be in control of one kilometer areas.
The LTTE is making every effort to halt the
advancing forces of 58 Division which is advancing a
minimum of one kilometre a day”, a front line
commander said.
The SF received information that Theepan and Velavan
are entrapped in the face of the ongoing military
operations.
German Technology for LTTE aircraft bombs
The 58 Division this week came across a Tiger
training camp for airmen. A ten feet long plane had
been gutted by the fleeing LTTE. It is believed
that, it was destroyed when the LTTE found it
difficult to move it to a safer location. Troops
also found bombs made for the LTTE’s Zlin aircraft
and a German book on manufacturing those bombs was
also found.
It is believed that foreign technology had been used
to manufacture the frame of the aircraft found
there. The SF had earlier recovered a frame of a
helicopter fitted with wheels, from the Dharmapuram
area. It was in the shape of a MI 24 helicopter gun
ship.
Three underwater scooters and a large stock of
diving kits were also recovered from
Ampalawanpokkanai area which was liberated this
week.
It was confirmed that the underwater scooters had
been manufactured in Europe. Several rigifoam boxes
found from the scene were in the process of being
checked on Friday. There was evidence that the LTTE
had shifted the boxes here from Chalai Sea Tiger
base.
The LTTE acquired underwater scooters to stick
magnetic bombs on ships and to attack harbours. It
is still a mystery how the LTTE acquired machinery
and equipment made in England or Norway. In the
coming days troops are expecting to make more such
discoveries as they comb other areas liberated by
the 58 Division.
The 68-1 Brigade under Lt. Col. Lalantha Gamage of
Task Force VIII captured an underground three storey
compound of LTTE leader Prabhakaran at
Pudukudyirippu. The luxury house, about 40 feet
underground, was in a high security zone of the LTTE.
The area was secured with a 14-strand barbed wire
fence and bunkers. The site was covered with a
2ft-thick reinforced concrete slab and an ordinary
house built on it.
“The house was complete with water purifiers and
power generators and covered with camouflage nets.
It was obviously Prabhakaran’s hideout in
Pudukudiruppu” a senior military official said.
The access road to the area had been carpeted and
dog kennels erected around the complex. A firing
range for the LTTE leader’s personal use was among
other facilities there.
The 14th Gajaba Regiment of the 68-1 Brigade under
the command of Maj. Janaka Pallebedda, reached the
underground housing complex after clearing a large
number of booby traps and mines.
Earlier several soldiers of Task Force IV were
victims of pressure mines and booby traps during a
previous military operation to capture the area.
The SF, after capturing the housing complex, set
about pulling down the LTTE’s earth barricade
defence line in the south of Pudukudyirippu.
LTTE ‘Lt. Col’ Anbu and 13 other cadres were killed
and 20 injured during the confrontations with the
Task Force VIII on Thursday (19) alone.
Meanwhile, the 15th Infantry and the First Gemunu
Watch of 68-2 Brigade under Lt. Col. Subhashana
Welikala, are advancing across the open space in
Nandikadal lagoon. Lt. Col. Welikala had a narrow
escape from LTTE gunfire during the tedious
operation in the open land area. However, Pvt
Jayawardene, providing protection to the Brigade
Commander, was shot in his forehead and killed.
Meanwhile, for the first time in the ‘Eelam War’,
two 130mm artillery guns were recovered by the Fifth
Vijeyabha Regiment under Lt. Col. Kalpa Sanjeewa of
the 53 Division in the PUdukudyirippu West region.
This regiment had been deployed on the 2nd Defence
Line in the area liberated by the Task Force IV.
Sgt Udayakumara and his men of the ‘Charlie’ Company
under Capt Buddhika Atukorala had noticed that
plants in the area had withered, and could be
uprooted easily. This aroused their suspicion and as
they dug up the area to a depth of about eight feet
a greased Artillery barrel wrapped cloth and
polythene was found.
While Sergeant Udayakumara, Lance Corporals
Thusithapriya, Ajith Kumara, and Private Elvitigala,
unearthed the barrel of one artillery gun , Staff
Sergeant Aruna Shantha, Lance Corporals Herath and
Wijeyakoon dug up the earth about 300 metres away
and unearthed another one. The two barrels had been
buried to a total depth of about 12 feet. Lt.
Colonel Kalpa Sanjeewa and Major Sanjeewa Gunawarden
and other officers spent the night there to unearth
the two weapons.
Bravo Company under the command of Capt. Suminda
Gunasinghe and including Staff Sergeant Jayatissa,
Sergeants Silva, Nilmini, Saman Kumara, recovered
the other parts of the two artillery guns.
The two 130mm artillery guns bore serial Nos.
6000031 and 260144 and model No.T-559. The Chinese
made guns had been supplied to North Korea. The
question is how did the LTTE receive weapons
supplied to North Korea.
A suicide Sea Tiger cadre in custody disclosed that
a consignment of arms were brought ashore by a
trawler and unloaded at Wellamullvaikkal in
Mullaitivu on December 23. It is believed that the
two artillery guns were among tat consignment.
The main heavy weapon known to have been possessed
by the LTTE previously was the 152mm artillery gun
and such a weapon recovered from Vakarai had been
acquired by the LTTE through Laos.
The 120mm mortar recovered from the enemy by the 58
Division recently had been manufactured in Pakistan,
Iran and Singapore.
Meanwhile another LTTE attempt to launch attacks in
the Jaffna Peninsular was foiled by the security
forces this week. Two cadres of the Charles Anthony
Brigade who came for the task were gunned down in
Kappathivu area. On evidence gathered at the scene
the security forces carried out a raid on a house in
Jaffna recovered stock of dry ration, clothes and
medicine for about 15 terrorists hidden in its
kitchen.
The Army Commander who was on a visit to Jaffna this
week met Jaffna Commander Major General Mendaka
Samarsinghe and other senior military men and
discussed the security situation in the peninsula.
ARMY CHANGES
Several changes in the military establishment will
take place next week. Former commander East and Army
Chief Of Staff Major General Nissanka Wijesinghe
will retire on Feb.28 on completion of 55 years of
age.
Major Gen L.M. Samarawera who commanded Military
Engineers too will retire on completion of 55 years
of age.
Major Gen. G.A.Chandrasiri who rendered a yeoman
service for three years as Jaffna Security Forces
Commander will be appointed as new Chief of Staff.
Military Secretary Major General Deepal Alwis will
move over as Head of Field Engineers. He will be
responsible for demining and construction works,
including bridge building in the liberated areas.
The Director of Personnel Administration Brigadier
Sumith Padumadasa has been appointed as Military
Secretary.
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