New Ray of Hope for Eastern Province
 

Liberation of a Province:

The arduous climb to the top

Ranil WIJAYAPALA

THE scorching sun was making our journey arduous. My whole body was sweating as if I have bathed in a well. But my desire to reach the victorious rock Thoppigala arises above all these barriers.

Captain Abeykoon and Captain Malaka, two Army officers from the 3 Commando Regiment were guiding us to the Thoppigala, exactly three days after the Commando troops captured this difficult rock in the Thoppigala jungle.

Step by step I was realising how difficult it was to climb this rock. Fortunately, there were no gun fire or mortar attacks to resist but the gusty winds and the scorching sun made our task difficult.

I was on my knees and sometimes crawling to reach the top of Thoppigala.

I was about to faint. I decided to take a small rest. Our Photographer Rukmal was heading towards the last lap of the journey. He was above to climb the ladder to reach the top of the rock.

"Come on Daily News", I was surprised to hear a familiar voice from the top of the rock and looked up. A familiar face rang a bell. It was Corporal Ananda whom we met three weeks back in Iluppadichena, on our visit to Thoppigala battle front on June 17.

Observing the jungle from the top Barons’ Cap

The difficult path towards the Barons’ Cap

Climbing the rock, the arduous task

Troops on alert on their way to the top

Reaching the top of the rock, the final phase.

I waved my hand. I was surprised, they have recognised us well in advance. Corporal Ananda was extending his hand to Rukmal and I took all my strength to stand on my feet to reach the climax of our journey and climbed the ladder. The wind resisted my way but I was courageous enough to reach the top.

A soldier extended his helping hand to get onto the rock. I took his hand and suddenly realised that I have met him too during our earlier visit. It was Corporal Indika, the first soldier to reach Thoppigala on July 10. I was so happy to share the joy with them.

I went to Corporal Ananda. He warmly welcomed me, Rukmal and Prasanna (Fonseka). He embraced us with a brotherly feeling and shared the joy of meeting an outsider after 15 days.

"We captured this rock, chasing them away," Corporal Ananda said as he shook my hand. His eyes were shining and there was pride in his face.

"We published your pictures in the Daily News. Have you seen them," I asked Corporal Ananda.

"How can we read papers. We were inside the jungle for more than 14 days and running out of our rations," Ananda said, recalling his memories of 14 days mission inside the jungle.

Suddenly I saw another familiar face along with Captain Abeykoon and Malaka. It was Lieutenant Bandara. His unshaven face, the dusty uniform and boots made it difficult for me to recognise him. "We achieved it finally", Lt. Bandara said in a jubilant mood.

Corporal Ananda gave me some water. I had a sip with the guilty feeling that I was using their water. They had brought water from the foot of the rock. Lance Corporal Amila had climbed the rock 17 times in the past four days to bring water to the top of the rock.

"He was going to set a record," the other soldiers were joking about the feat of the most junior soldier among them.

I looked around. I was amazed. I could see the whole jungle stretch of over 800 square kilometres, from this place. I realised what Brigadier Chagiya Gallage told us before we commenced our journey from Iluppadichenai was correct.

"We captured all vital grounds in the Thoppigala jungle. One in Narakamulla, one in Kotiyagala and another south of Narakamulla. With the capture of Barons' Cap we completed our mission in Thoppigala. The balance operations now going on are search and clear operations."

Barons' Cap was a strategic location to maintain an observation point as it enables to observe all the movement inside the jungle. But lack of water makes it virtually impossible to maintain a permanent camp on the top of the rock.

Anybody can observe that Thoppigala was not merely a jungle but a well established military complex of the LTTE as all supply routes stretched like a cob web all over the jungle.

It is located 16 Km south of Punani on the Polonnaruwa - Batticaloa road and close to the Tharavikulam Tiger camp complex. The Kudumbimalai Kumaran Vidyalaya located just one mile away indicates that many civilians had lived there prior to the operation.

I was puzzled as to how troops reached the top of the rock. Captain Abeykoon was there to tell us, how they captured this vital ground. He pinpointed places where they had confrontations with the Tiger cadres and the places where Tigers had their camps.

Captain Abeykoon who commanded the Zulo team of the 3 Commando Regiment opened his map on the ground to explain how they started their mission.

"We were given orders on June 30 to capture Barons' Cap with the fall of the Tiger camp complexes in Narakamulla," Lt. Bandara started to explain.

Six small teams under Commando Brigade Commander Brigadier Chagiya Gallage, Chief Coordinating Officer 3 Commando Regiment Major Suresh and Officer Commanding Major Abeykoon started their mission from Vadamunai on June 30.

"We started our mission on June 30 from Vadamunai and reached Baron's Cap area three days later after an 18 kilometre trek taking the cover of bushes and the cover of darkness," Lt. Bandara recalled.

The LTTE presence was increasing in and around Baron's Cap by that time as their bases in Narakamulla fell to the hands of the Security Forces by the first week of July.

"We planned our operation to cut off all supply routes to Baron's Cap and laid mines and set ambushes to prevent them from entering the area," Captain Abeykoon said.

Corporal Ananda described how he set a claymore targeting a tractor transporting 10 to 15 Tiger cadres from Narakamulla to Baron's Cap area on July 5 and the way they had narrowly escaped without being caught to Tiger cadres after they missed one target.

"We observed that nearly 300 Tiger cadres were there in Baron's Cap area after they lost their grounds in Narakamulla by July 5 and 6", Lt. Bandara added.

Narakamulla, which was covered with thick jungle provided a safer haven for the Tiger to have their bases as it provided a strategic location to observe any troops advancing to the area. Commando troops captured that vital ground too.

The LTTE had the Elichchi Base close to Baron's Cap and these small teams launched claymore attacks on tractors and canter trucks which were providing supplies to the Tiger cadres using the well established supply routes connecting all their Tiger bases.

The six small teams operating in and around Baron's Cap confused the Tiger cadres through their claymore attacks. Corporal Bandara showed his palm filled with corns thanks to the use of his knife to dig the earth to lay anti tank mines to cut off the supply route to the area.

Nearly 30 to 40 Tiger cadres including doctor Ravi Mohan, mortar leader and many other senior leaders got killed after getting caught in their claymore attacks and ambushes.

On July 8 they got orders from the top to make their first attempt to climb Baron's Cap. Lance Corporal Indika took the lead under the leadership of Lt. Bandara.

"I climbed the rock up to the place where they had a ladder to climb to the top of the rock. I secretly reached the ladder but suddenly heard a voice 'Yara da' (Who are you in Tamil) and I slipped back and took cover," Corporal Indika explained.

Indika observed that nearly 100 Tiger cadres were hiding inside a cave in the rock and decided it was too dangerous to climb the rock at this point.

"Then we gave the location where Tiger cadres were present to engage them with artillery and mortar," Lt.Bandara added.

As Baron's Cap was engaged with artillery and mortar the team decided to rest by the side of a lake close the rock. Captain Abeykoon sent them ration packets and food and gave instructions for them to stay there until they reach the target.

As they were resting inside the jungle around 7 p.m. they received orders to make their second attempt to climb the rock. They then crossed the open space taking the cover of darkness as it was difficult to cross that terrain during day time.

On July 10, they made their second attempt cutting off all supply routes to the Baron's Cap. Step by step they started to climb the rock removing anti-personnel mines and booby traps.

They made their second attempt to climb the rock without using the ladder but realised it was not an easy task and abandoned that plan.

Then they removed AP mines one by one and reached the ladder. They found that Tigers have trapped the ladder with claymore mines. Corporal Ananda removed the mine and found it was 25 Kg claymore.

As the sun set, Corporal Indika began to climb the ladder leading to the top of the rock around 4.30 p.m. on July 10. Lt. Bandara filmed this historic occasion using his video camera.

"We established our positions on the top of the rock and removed all mines. By July 11 morning we hoisted the national flag and the Commando Regiment flag marking the end of our mission," Lt. Bandara added.

"None of our soldiers was injured during this 14 days mission. Even during the whole operation only a handful of our commando troops were injured", Captain Abeykoon said folding his map as he completed explaining their heroic mission.

Corporal Indika and Ananda along with Lt. Bandara too gathered their belongings. Photographer Rukmal captured all their movements and took group photographs which can be one day added to the books of heroic acts of Commando troops.

Lance Corporal Amila again gave us some water. The gusty winds, the scorching sun and the dust made it difficult us to stay there any more.

Everybody packed their baggages and Captain Abeykoon again took the lead to climb down the rock. The heroic soldiers started walking.

Their baggages were empty and they walked lightly as they no longer feared an enemy threat. They have cleared the ground. The troops from 10 Gajaba Regiment were reaching there to hold the ground.

They showed us what they have captured from the enemy and shook our hands to say good bye to us.

"See you again in another battle," Corporal Ananda said reminding me that their task was not ending even though they completed their mission in the East liberating the entire population from the clutches of the LTTE.

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