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MILITARY
riding high
The
Sri Lanka Army is almost at the doorstep, as it were, of the
LTTE’s nerve centre – advancing more than 40 kms
from its original positions in north Mannar, Vavuniya and
WeliOya.
Air and ground intelligence accurate
Yesterday morning, around 7:30 a.m., a squadron
of Kfir and MiG fighters took off, after a briefing by their
superiors. Their target was a well fortified, heavily camouflaged
Black Tiger training base at Udayaarakattikulam. This base
is out of bounds for ordinary cadres. Only dedicated and highly
motivated cadres and their instructors are granted admission.
Males and females were undergoing training here, and their
‘Passing Out’ parade was to be at the end of this
month, according to credible sources from Kilinocchi After
breakfast they were given a lecture by their instructor. Some
of the cadres simulated a suicide in the base, at the time
of the air strike. At least 24 Tigers and an instructor were
reported killed and over 30 injured.
Troops moving further into uncontrolled area .Eight soldiers
of an advance force lay in wait from Monday (21) morning in
the jungle, three kms. east of Ilupaikadavai. They maintained
radio silence waiting for LTTE cadres to arrive. The soldiers
were armed with T56 rifles and multi-purpose machine guns
(MPMGs). Five LTTE cadres were spotted moving in their direction.
When the LTTE cadres were close enough, the eight soldiers
opened fire simultaneously. They were killed on the spot.
After the successful ambush, the soldiers collected the five
bodies, along with their weapons, which included a 12.5mm
anti-aircraft gun, and reported to their commanding officer.
Brig. Shavendra Silva worked out a plan to capture Ilupaikadavai
on July 20. The distance from Vidattaltivu to Ilupaikadavai
is 20 kms, but within four days, the troops, led by the elite
Commandos, were able to take Ilupaikadavai. A senior officer
at the battlefront said, “There was not much resistance
from the Tigers and it was not a major issue for us. Our soldiers
overcame their resistance though they fired 81 mm mortars
at us, and advanced a further 10 km within four days.’
The LTTE had held Ilupaikadavai for the past two decades.
During this period, the Sri Lanka Army never conducted any
military operations to liberate the A32, Mannar-Pooneryn,
Road. This is the first occasion the Army launched an operation
to capture the A32 Road. At present, the Army is at the 23rd
mile post on the A32 Road.
A senior officer at the battlefront said that, the Army plans
to advance further on the A32 Road, because this road is strategically
important for the Tigers in their ‘Eelam War IV’.
When the Army controls it, all main supply routes to the LTTE
will be cut off, he said. A senior battlefront officer said
that troops from 58 Division have already advanced about two
kms north of Ilupaikadavai town and are consolidating their
defences at present. At least 15 LTTE cadres were reported
killed during the confrontation. While troops are marching
further north of Illuppaikkadavai, the LTTE is trying to bring
reinforcements by sea to the battlefront. According to naval
sources, the coastal patrol craft deployed along the north-western
coastal waters to deny a possible withdrawal or reinforcement
of the LTTE cadres by sea was detected and the move repulsed.
Later, air support was called in and the boats bombed, the
sources said.
The sources confirmed the destruction of six LTTE boats and
heavy damage inflicted on the remaining ones. The LTTE boat
move was pounded at a location 3 km south off the Nachchikudah
coast. The Air Force too confirmed heavy casualties caused
to the Tigers. Nachchikudah is situated about 17 kms north
of Illupaikadavai town which troops had liberated. Troops
are now continuing their march further northwards on the Mannar-Pooneryn
Road destroying Tiger defences on their way.
When the Army’s 58 Division captured Vidattaltivu, the
LTTE lost its largest and only Sea Tiger base on the western
coast of Sri Lanka. Vidattaltivu is strategically important
for the LTTE to smuggle arms and fuel from south India into
Sri Lanka and the landing point at Vidattaltivu, when compared
to any other sea landing point, is unique because it is like
a natural harbour. Therefore, the LTTE would not have vacated
Vidattaltivu without a fight. The LTTE leadership knows very
well that if Vidattaltivu is lost the morale of the LTTE cadres
would be affected and the supply from south India paralysed.
The loss of Vidattaltivu is a clear signal that the LTTE does
not have the capability to hold ground because the SL Army
offensive is very strong and the Tigers are not able to utilise
their limited and inexperienced cadres to face the Army on
five fronts.
The 58 Division in North Mannar had linked with the 57 Division
in Vavuniya. This link is definitely disadvantageous for the
LTTE because the Army will be in a position to advance further
into the area controlled by the Tigers.
LTTE HQ at Kilinochchi is likely to be within Artillery range
soon. 57 Division commanded by Maj. Gen. Jagath Dias is heading
towards the Tiger bastion at Kilinochchi. The 57 Division
kicked off its offensive from Periyathampani and captured
Madhu. After capturing Madhu, troops consolidated their positions
and advanced further north. The territory captured by 57 Division
is now held by the newly established holding Division- 61
Division, commanded by Maj. Gen. S.W.L. Daulagala.
57 Division comprises of three Brigades. 571 Brigade has advanced
from Periyamadhu to the A32 Mannar-Pooneryn Road through one
of the most fortified Tiger territories and its main task
was to cut off the main supply route to the Tigers from Vidattaltivu
to the rest of the region. 572 Brigade has to advance to Tunukkai.
At the moment, troops belonging to 572 Brigade are stationed
near Tunukkai south at Oddankulam. Oddankulam to Tunukkai
is 4 kms of open land with chena cultivation and grass.
An officer at the battlefront said “Although the land
is open, it is not an obstacle to our operations, as the Army
is very experienced in conducting night operations with much
success”. The turning point in ‘Eelam War IV’
is likely to be when the Army captures Tunukkai, because Mallavi
is only 4.5 kms from Tunukkai and from Mallavi to Kilinochchi
is roughly 30 kms. From Mallavi, Kilinochchi falls within
Artillery range. 130 mm Artillery could fire shells a distance
of 20 kms. In addition, Mallavi is very important to the LTTE,
because the LTTE joint operations command, conference halls,
and leaders’ meetings are at Mallavi. Meanwhile, troops
of 57 Division have led extensive ground assaults on LTTE
positions, penetrating along the Tunukkai-Mallavi-Mankulam
main road, killing seven Tigers and wounding two others, according
to reports. Six soldiers were also reported to be wounded
in the confrontations reported in the general areas east of
Pandiyankulam, Kuttimulai, Parappukkal and Karavedivembu.
Troops are conducting day and night offensives to reach Mallavi,
while the LTTE is putting up stiff resistance.
The LTTE is well aware that when troops reach Mallavi, its
assets and joint operations headquarters would be forced to
shift from Mallavi to Kilinochchi, and LTTE cadres ordered
to confront the troops. The LTTE still does not possess 130mm,
152mm, 122mm Artillery shells and 81 mm mortars. However,
the Tigers are limiting their use, reserving them for their
final battle. Most of the cadres on the battlefront are new
recruits, while the well-trained cadres are still in Mullaitivu
and Kilinochchi preparing for their most crucial battle in
Eelam War history. Meanwhile, Task Force 2 operates west of
the A9 road at Palamotte, Kalmadu and Navvi and is advancing
further north. In the Wanni theatre, on the Vavuniya front,
clashes between Tigers and troops are reported in Pandiyankulam,
Navvi and Palamoddai areas. Several confrontations are reported
in the Navvi area.
LTTE strategy to counter Military offensive
As I mentioned on July 9, the LTTE is following its well-known
strategy to stop the military offensive. It is forcibly inducting
civilians in LTTE-controlled areas and giving them two weeks
training in arms, and sending them to the battlefront. The
LTTE leadership has ordered that every civilian below 50 years
of age and children above 10 should undergo military training
and then go to the battlefront The LTTE still does have large
quantities of explosives (C4 and TNT). At the moment, even
children are forced to help in the manufacturing of ‘johnny’
mines, IEDs, land mines and anti-tank mines. Two boys, 17
and 18 years, were reportedly killed in an accidental explosion
while manufacturing bombs, a source from Kilinochchi said.
The LTTE does not handed over the bodies of such children
to their parents. Not only that, even bodies of LTTE child
cadres killed in battle are not hand over to their parents
because arrival of such bodies in their territory, demoralises
the rest of the cadres. This writer has witnessed fresh graves
of bodies buried in the Mannar cemetery (Rice Bowl area).
To discredit the Sri Lanka Army and Air Force internationally,
and influence the international community to stop the military
offensive, the LTTE is reportedly planning to conduct a most
cruel and barbarian tactic, a source from Kilinochchi said.
Accordingly, when the Air Force bombs an LTTE military installation,
the LTTE is reportedly planning to blast a powerful bomb targeting
civilians and then blame the Air Force. The LTTE will try
to explode bombs in Colombo or other parts of the country
to create unease and hope that soldiers from the battlefront
would be diverted to the affected areas. LTTE Peace Secretariat
head Nadesan, has issued a statement that the LTTE would like
to go for peace talks. This is its well-known tactic when
it is militarily weak. It is very clear that the LTTE is in
a difficult position and wants to regroup and rearm as history
shows. The latest statement from Nadesan is that, the LTTE
has declared a unilateral ceasefire for the duration of the
SAARC Summit.
The reason for this is they want to impress the International
community that, their interest in peace and for the International
community to put pressure on the Government to go ahead with
the peace talks. This is another strategy to avert war against
LTTE. Whenever the LTTE faces defeat, Prabhakaran asks for
a ceasefire and sends his peace delegation for talks with
the Sri Lanka Government. The LTTE delegation visits foreign
countries and engages in propaganda, while dragging the peace
process by imposing impossible conditions for the Sri Lanka
Government to fulfill.
During which time the LTTE trains its cadres and smuggles
weapons. When the Tigers are well established, they repeat
their unacceptable conditions and the country goes back to
war. This is what the LTTE has been doing for the past 25
years. The LTTE international wing is lobbying human rights
organisations and legislators in certain countries urging
a stoppage to the military offensives. With its heavy influence
in Tamil Nadu, the LTTE has two pro-LTTE politicians in Vaiko
and Nedumaran. As a result of this influence, Vaiko was persuaded
to fly to the United States and meet USA Presidential candidate
Barack Obama.
The LTTE even tried to fund Hilary Clinton’s Presidential
campaign, which she later rejected. A group of lawyers based
in the US, are regularly lobbying human rights organisations,
while there are some Sinhalese living in the US reportedly
backing these lawyers for financial gain.
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