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Prabhakaran
commands battlefront from underground
At
the moment, LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran lives in one
of several underground bunkers in Mullaitivu, which are all
interconnected via tunnels. Well informed sources said that
Prabhakaran pays his last respects to his dead comrades from
these bunkers, but pro-LTTE websites claim that he goes to
where the bodies are kept. However, this is not true.
Prabhakaran had summoned only a few leaders such as Theepan,
Banu, Luxman, Pottu Amman and Soosai to his bunkers.
These leaders meet Prabhakaran in the night between 7:00 p.m.
and 10:00 p.m. He has, reportedly, warned his leaders not
to travel in the daytime, because the Army Long Range Reconnaissance
Patrol teams are monitoring their movements, and to meet him
individually.
When these leaders arrive to see Prabhakaran, his personal
bodyguards of the Imran Pandian brigade, closely body-check
them, before allowing them to see the supreme leader.
At the moment, Prabhakaran is reportedly not using any of
his satellite phones, because he knows that Military Intelligence
(MI) can intercept his messages. Therefore, he sends messages
through his trustworthy members. How long he can do this?
In one of the discussions, Prabhakaran has reportedly given
his Sea Wing leader the task of manufacturing boats fitted
with 250cc and 500cc outboard motors to use as suicide boats.
Prabakaran uses these boats for evacuation, unloading arms
and weapons or to attack SL Navy ships anchored at sea.
A senior Sri Lanka Navy officer said that the Navy had implemented
an effective naval blockade to ensure that Prabhakaran does
not use these boats to leave Sri Lanka.
When Anton Balasingham suffered kidney failure, he was evacuated
from the Mullaitivu coast on January 23, 1999, to an LTTE
ship anchored in deep sea, which took him to Thailand, from
where he flew to Norway for a kidney transplant.
The probability is that Prabhakaran will remain in Sri Lanka
to command the battle. If he left Sri Lanka, who would command
the LTTE?
Western intelligence agencies are keeping an eye on Prabhakaran,
as he is an internationally wanted criminal.
Some powerful western diplomatic missions are, reportedly,
sending their Defense attaches for the day-to-day media briefing
of the battlefront situation to their respective military
organisations and their secret services.
Only a matter of time
At the moment, troops belonging to 57 Division are positioned
east of Akkarayankulam, about 2 km. from Kilinochchi town,
an officer from the battlefront said. Once the troops pass
the jungle area, they would be able to enter Kilinochchi town.
As I mentioned in my previous column, the LTTE has evacuated
from its military installations in Kilinochchi, which looks
like a ghost town, but the LTTE doesn’t want to hand
over Kilinochchi on a silver platter to the SL troops. The
Tigers will offer as much resistance as they can, but the
troops would overcome the resistance and advance gradually.
Their main obstacles are ‘johnny’ mines and booby
traps, while they have to face mortar and artillery fire from
the Mullaitivu west area.
Having liberated the western region of the Vavuniya district
and the Madhu area in the Mannar district, troops are now
moving towards the western borders of the Mullaitivu district.
At present, they are on the outskirts of the strategically
important Tunukkai and Mallavi towns located on the Vellankulam-Mankulam
road.
57 Division troops commenced their operation opening up the
Vavuniya front from the Madhu road, Giant’s Tank east,
Pandivirichchan and Thampanai areas and achieved the largest
area domination by liberating Madhu, Palampiddi, Mundumurippu
and Periyamadhu areas.
Later, they combined with Task Force 1 marching ahead on the
Mannar front, making the Mannar-Vavuniya front the largest
battlefront ever maintained against the Tigers. Then they
entered the Mullaitivu district crossing the southwestern
district border and have so far liberated Naddankandal, Chiraddikulam
and most recently, the Kalvilan areas in Mullaitivu west.
LTTE intelligence
LTTE intelligence chief Pottu Amman has reportedly ordered
his cadres living in Tamil Nadu and other parts of India,
to come to Sri Lanka armed with an Indian passport, to carry
out comprehensive intelligence surveillance of political leaders
and high ranking military officials. And there are many Tamils
armed with Muslim Passports to do intelligence work. MI is
well aware of his move.
Civilian safe passage to Oddusuddan and Visvamadu
Sri Lanka Army Commander Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka has declared
Oddusuddan and Vishvamadu as safe havens for civilians, as,
at the moment, there are no civilians coming to government
controlled areas but, it is reliably learnt that, there are
civilians from the Kokavil area trying to escape from the
LTTE’s grip and enter government-controlled areas. They
are reportedly being prevented from leaving. Sixteen civilians
were reportedly shot and killed brutally, way when they defied
orders to remain.
Troops capture Panniwedikulam earth bund in Kilinochchi
At least 20 Tigers and four soldiers were killed and 27 Tigers
and six soldiers wounded, when troops belonging to 58 Division
commanded by Brig Shavindra Silva, captured a section of the
bunker line constructed along the Nachchikudah-Akkarayankulam
road at Panniwedikulam to the west of Vannerikulam in the
Kilinochchi district on October 4. The Sri Lanka Air Force
(SLAF) Mi-24 helicopter gunships also assisted the troops
in capturing 10 bunkers constructed on the massive earth bund,
military sources said. 58 Division now operates in the Kilinochchi
district, having captured a four-kilometre stretch of a massive
ditch and earth bund constructed by the LTTE from Nachchikudah
to the Akkarayankulam tank area. Troops have also advanced
nearly two kilometres from this earth bund and are in control
of the Nachchikudah-Akkarayankulam road, depriving the LTTE
of a vital supply route to Nachchikudah.
The Army is progressing to clear the Kilinochchi and Pooneryn
areas confining the LTTE only to Mullaitivu.
At the moment, 59 Division has advanced 14 km. in the thick
jungle at Andankulam and is aiming to dominate the east coast.
One
prime target of the LTTE was Maj. Gen. Janaka Perera, because
of his exceptional achievements on the battlefront.
Maj. Gen. Perera would have been a threat to the Tigers in
the near future.
Adequate security had reportedly not been provided to the
late Maj. Gen. Perera. On Monday, The Bottom Line learnt that
there were only four police officers at the entrance, but
they did not conduct any body checks on people who arrived
to witness the opening of the UNP office.
It is learnt that the suicide bomber came through the main
entrance and exploded himself. Two weeks ago, Maj. Gen. Perera
told this column that the SL Army could defeat the LTTE and
that he does not have any doubt the Army will win the war.
The multi-million dollar question is why the authorities didn’t
provide adequate security for Maj. Gen. Perera.
Major General K.J.C Perera RWP RSP VSV USP rcds psc (retd)
is no more. He enlisted in the Sri Lanka Army as an Officer
Cadet on December 20, 1966. On successful completion of training
at the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst, England, he was
commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant and posted to 1 Field Engineer
Regiment Corps of Sri Lanka Engineers on December 19, 1968.
He was promoted Lieutenant (June 19, 1970), Captain (June
19, 1973), Major (November 15, 1977), Lieutenant Colonel (May
1, 1986), Colonel (December 26, 1988), Brigadier (December
1, 1989) and Major General (April 15, 1996).
He became the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army
on April 2, 1999 and the Chief of Staff on June 15, 2000.
During his 35 years of distinguished service in the Army,
he held the following key appointments.
Overall Operations Commander (North), General Officer Commanding
(23 Division), General Officer Commanding (51 Division), General
Officer Commanding (53 Division), Brigade Commander (6 Brigade-Welioya),
General Officer Commanding (Welioya), Commander (Reserve Strike
Force), Brigade Commander (Independent Brigade), Brigade Commander
(24 Brigade), Area Commander (Kurunegala/Puttalam), Commanding
Officer (Field Engineer Regiment), Commandant, Army Command
and Staff College, Chief Instructor, Sri Lanka Military Academy
Military Liaison Officer, Ministry of Defence.
He also served as Coordinating Officer for Kurunegala, North-Western
Province and Coordinator-in-Chief for Batticaloa, Ampara,
Dimbulagala, Lankapura and also for Valikamam, East. He was
appointed Commander, Commando/Special Force Regiment on April
15, 1999. He was also the Colonel Commandant, Commando Regiment,
Special Forces Regiment and the Corps of Sri Lanka Engineers.
He retired from the regular force of the Sri Lanka Army on
January 31, 2001.
Major General K.J.C Perera RWP, RSP, VSV, USP, rcds, psc has
successfully attended or followed the undermentioned overseas
courses/seminars.
Engineer Young Officers’ Course (India), Komatsu Machinery
Course (Japan), Engineer Officers’ Earth Moving Plant
Course (India), Engineer Company Commander Course (India),
Defence Services Staff Course (India), Engineer Officers’
Advanced Course (USA), Royal College of Defence Studies Course
(England), Seminar on Counter Insurgency (USA), Pacific Armies
Senior Officers’ Logistic Seminar (USA) and Pacific Armies
Management Seminar (Japan).
In recognition of his dedicated service and in appreciation
of his contribution to the Army, he was awarded the following
decorations and gallantry awards.
Rana Wickrema Padakkama (RWP), Rana Sura Padakkama (RSP),
Vishishta Seva Vibhushanaya (VSV), Utthama Seva Padakkama
(USP), Purna Bhumi Padakkama (PBP), North and East Operations
Medal, Vadamarachchi Operation Medal, Riviresa Campaign Service
Medal, Republic of Sri Lanka Armed Services Medal 1972, 50th
Independence Anniversary Medal 1998, Sri Lanka Army 50th Anniversary
Medal 1999, Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal 1979
and President’s Inauguration Medal 1978. – Courtesy
Sri Lanka Army
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