Troops in strategic move to break Tiger resistance

Forces capture 10 Tiger bunkers:

Ranil Wijayapala

Troops on the Wanni battle front made a strategic move during the past 48 hours capturing the Uyilankulam LTTE checkpoint and part of Thampanai, forcing Tiger cadres to flee their defences in the face of advancing troops, the Military said yesterday.

Troops operating under Task Force -1 in Mannar took the improved weather condition in the Mannar area on Saturday to launch a major assault on the Uyilankulam LTTE entry - exit point and captured 10 Tiger bunkers and the ICRC checkpoint at the LTTE’s end.

Military Spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara told the Daily News that eight Tiger cadres were killed and 14 injured as troops captured 10 Tiger bunkers in the Uyilankulam checkpoint around 10 am on Saturday. One soldier was killed and six other sustained injuries during the confrontation.

The LTTE entry - exit point is some 500 metres away from the Security Forces’ defences at the Uyilankulam checkpoint used as a gateway to the Wanni from the cleared areas in Mannar.

“Security Forces thwarted the subsequent attempts by the Tiger cadres to capture the bunker line on Saturday afternoon around 2 pm directing artillery and mortar fire on the reinforcement arriving there,” Brigadier Nanayakkara added.

According to military sources, dozens of Tiger cadres also perished due to retaliatory artillery and mortar fire directed at the Tiger cadres attempting to recapture the bunker line.

“Troops are now consolidating their positions in the newly captured Tiger bunkers in Uyilankulam LTTE entry exit point,” Brigadier Nanayakkara added.

According to ground sources, Bhanu the Tiger leadership in Wanni defence has given up attemps to recapture the Uyilankulam checkpoint as he was not receiving any support from the cadres operating there. Meanwhile, troops attached to the 57 Division also captured a Tiger base in Periyapunchankulam in the North - East of Periyathampanai on Saturday.

According to ground sources the Tiger base has been identified as the Vietnam Base stretching 400 metres to 300 metres with 18 to 20 overhead bunkers. “Eight to 10 cadjan roofed huts and a kitchen were also inside the Tiger base,” Brigadier Nanayakkara added.

Ground sources in Wanni confirmed that troops have also been able to capture a part of Thampanai village as Tiger cadres started to withdraw from the area in the face of the Security Forces advance.

Intense battles erupted in Thampanai area during the past few months as LTTE used this village as a strategic location to resist Security Forces advance towards LTTE Wanni strongholds.

“The recent development indicates that the Tiger cadres are in a reverse trend of withdrawing from the area due to the low morale of the cadres operating in the Tiger FDLs,” Brigadier Nanayakkara added.