More fierce battles expected as troops close in on Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu

Security Forces’ campaign well within time frame; UN urges LTTE to let civilians leave for cleared areas:

As monsoon rains loom around and troops march towards the heart of Kilinochchi braving the massive Earth bund created by the LTTE to defend their last stretch of territory, fierce battles erupted in the outskirts of the Kilinochchi in Akkarayankulam and Nachchikuda on Monday and Tuesday inflicting damage to both Security Forces and the LTTE on equal terms.

It was not an unexpected or unusual situation for the Security Forces as they came all the way from the Vavuniya and Mannar districts to heart of the Tiger territory in the Kilinochchi district expecting a fierce battle there. They were not expecting a cakewalk to their heartland.

A number of soldiers went missing after the battle that erupted in the south of Nachchikuda and Akkarayankulam that went on for more than 12 hours. The battle commenced at 1.30 p.m. on Monday when troops attached to the 58 Division now operating in the northernmost front in the Kilinochchi district launched a massive assault on the Nachchikuda from the west and east of Mannar Pooneryn A-32 road.

Their attempt was to capture the massive earth bund that has been constructed by the LTTE covering the entire Kilinochchi border from Nachchikuda south on the Mannar Pooneryn A-32 road and towards Iranamadu in the South of Kilinochchi.

Soldiers marching forward to the North Pictures by Rukmal Gamage

For the Tiger outfit each and every inch of land they are losing in this territory predicts the end of their 25 years long fight for a separate state in the North and East.

Therefore, the battles that are erupting in the Kilinochchi district has turned out to be do or die battles for the LTTE. That has compelled them to mobilise all their resources into one place and fight a do or die battle with the advancing Security Forces as they are left with no other option to defend the territory left with them.

For the LTTE it was a free game using all available firepower with them to thwart the advance of the troops as they can freely direct their long range artillery guns into the advancing troops as the areas dominated by the troops were free of civilians.

But it was a difficult game for the Security Forces as they have to be extremely careful when countering the long range artillery guns of the LTTE as thousands of civilians are living around Kilinochchi.

It was under these circumstances the troops attached to the 58 Division launched a massive assault on the earth bund covering Nachchikuda the Sea Tiger base on Monday around 1.30 p.m.

The troops attached to 11 Sri Lanka Light Infantry Regiment moved into earth bund from West of the A-32 road whilst troops attached to the 8 Gemunu Watch advanced into the Tiger defences from the East of A-32 road towards Vannerikulam.

Heavy fighting erupted when troops reached the earth bund and dominated it for hours amidst heavy resistance form the LTTE. The resistance of the LTTE came in the form 120 mm artillery, 120 mm and 81 mm mortar. Security Forces also retaliated the rains of mortar and artillery and mortar fire directed towards them from the LTTE.

As the battle continued till midnight on Monday the LTTE suffered heavily with intercepted radio transmissions of the LTTE confirming that 49 of their cadres were killed on the Nachchikuda front.

The number of casualties to the Security Forces also increased with nearly 30 soldiers sustaining injuries in the battle. Finally it was decided to withdraw the troops from the earth bund to their original positions.

It was later confirmed that 10 soldiers were missing. Out of the 30 injured, 16 soldiers who sustained minor injuries report back to their duties.

By this time the troops attached to 8 Gemunu Watch had captured a stretch of the earth bund from the East of A-32 road.

It was with the break of moonlight the troops attached to the 4 Sinha Regiment operating under the command of 571 Brigade moved into the earth bund from the south of Akkarayankulam. Fierce fighting erupted in this territory too when troops of the 4 Sinha regiment attempted to capture a massive stretch of earth bund in the South of Akkarayankulam.

The LTTE has also suffered heavily during these confrontations with dozens of their cadres reportedly killed and injured during these confrontation. After withdrawing from the earth bund, amidst counter attacks of the LTTE troops made yet another attempt to recapture the earth bund.

According to reports troops have not succeeded in their attempt as LTTE cadres countered that effort. Later it has been decided to withdraw the troops to their original positions.

It has been confirmed that 19 soldiers went missing and 13 soldiers killed during this battle with more than 40 soldiers sustaining injuries.

Following this fierce battle the LTTE went ahead with their massive media campaign displaying the captured bodies of the soldiers who went missing during these battles. The LTTE desperately made use of this temporary setback of the Security Forces to boost the morale of their cadres and also to show the civilians entrapped in Kilinochchi that they are on to a winning trend.

But they kept mum on the number of cadres killed during these confrontations as the display of their bodies will further worsen the already bad situation remaining in Kilinochchi. Therefore, it is apparent that the LTTE is trying to stage a short drama in the outskirts of Kilinochchi mobilising all available manpower and fire power with them as they are aware that they cannot keep the civilians under their control for a long period.

It has been reported that all leaders like Theepan and Bhanu were on the field during the whole battle and garnered support from the Muhamalai area inducting hundreds of Tiger cadres from Muhamalai front to Nachchikuda and Akkarayankulam.

The way the LTTE handled the battle in Nachchikuda, according to military sources, the LTTE has already entered its final battle in Kilinochchi as they cannot wait till the troops surround Kilinochchi town to enter the final battle with them.

That was why the LTTE had created such a massive earth bunt across the Kilinochchi border. Therefore, it is something like the massive earth bund defence system they had created in Muhamalai defence line on the Jaffna front. The only difference is that there is a massive ditch ahead of this earth bund and in some areas it is filled with water.

But the troops attached to 58 Division have so far come across a large number of earth bunds of this nature from the Mannar ‘Rice Bowl’ area to Viddathalthivu. Therefore, confronting with the LTTE in these massive earth bunds is not a novel thing for them as they have gained experience in overcoming such barriers from the beginning.

They have been able to capture some parts of the earth bund in the Vannerikulam East and West with the troops of the 10 Gajaba Regiment, 9 Gemunu Watch, 12 Gemunu Watch and 6 Gemunu Watch holding some sections of this massive earth bund from various places.

The LTTE has reasons to deploy its maximum strength in Nachchikuda and Akkarayan as they are aware of the fact the loss of Nachchikuda ends up with losing Pooneryn the tactically important location they have kept under their control to take the Jaffna peninsula under their artillery range.

At the same time they want to stop the troops from opening a land route to Jaffna via Mannar-Pooneryn road after the capture of Nachchikuda and subsequently Pooneryn. Apart from the military advantages the LTTE is more concerned about the civilian factor, as such a move will help the Jaffna population to reach the South via a land route.

That will definitely be a disadvantageous factor for the LTTE in their effort to keep the remaining civilian population under their control.

That was why they are making such an effort to thwart the efforts of the troops to advance into Kilinochchi and Pooneryn. But there is no such hesitation from the Security Forces side as they are working well within the time frame they had been given by the Commander of the Army.

The question here is whether the LTTE has a capacity to exist while experiencing such loses manpower wise and firepower power wise as they are making use of maximum manpower and firepower against the troops. They might be able to retain these pressures for weeks but not for months.

But the Security Forces are in a position to take this pressure for a longer period than the LTTE manpower wise and firepower wise as all avenues are open for them to mobilise resources.

The only hindrance that they may face is the political and public pressure once the number of casualties in the Security Forces starts to increase with fierce battles erupting in the heart of Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu as troops attached to the 59 division have also reached the outskirts of the Mullaitivu facing a huge earth bund created from Thannikuruppukulam towards South of Nayaru lagoon.

The LTTE is facing this situation after they lost control of one of their strategically important towns Mallavi with the troops attached to the 57 Division completely capturing the town by Tuesday afternoon. It was last Sunday that troops attached to 7 Sinha Regiment under the command of Lt. Colonel Kithsiri Liyanage moved into Mallavi town from the South of Mallavi after reaching Mankulam Vellankulam road from the ninth mile post.

Their move into the Mallavi town came with the troops attached to 572 Brigade capturing Alankulam village in the north of Thunukkai which gave the depth to the Mallavi town. Earlier troops attached to the 573 Brigade under the command of Lt. Colonel Prathap Thillekeratne took control of North of Vavunikulam tank area positioning their troops in tactically important areas.

Capturing Mallavi was a severe blow to the LTTE as they lost one of the prestigious towns they had been dominating for the past two and half decades.

Though Mallavi has been mentioned as the birth place of Madhivadanaee, wife of Tiger leader Prabhakaran in reality it was where her family lived as her birth place was Punguduthivu.

Troops are now in a tactically important position as they can move into the A-9 road which had not yet been touched by the Security Forces so far. They can move into Mankulam town at any moment and take control of the areas North of Omanthai upto Mankulam. Such a move will help the civilians now entrapped in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts to move out of the battle torn areas towards safer areas in Vavuniya as requested by the Government.

The Government made this announcement this Monday inviting the civilians to arrive in Government controlled areas considering their safety.

The United Nations office in Colombo also endorsed the moves by the Government to facilitate the civilian movements towards Government controlled areas and insisted upon the LTTE to ensure the free movement of civilians entrapped in Wanni.

The international organisations which are deeply concerned about the plight of civilians entrapped in Wanni are exerting pressure on the LTTE to allow the civilians to move safer areas as they wish as it is certain that the LTTE would made use them as a human shield to get cover from the firepower of the Security Forces.

It is only through such a move that the LTTE can sustain itself in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu but it is not clear whether the LTTE would be able at least to provide basic needs for the civilian population without any assistance from the Government and the INGOs.

The only way to provide them with basic needs is to take them out from Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi districts as the situation would become extremely volatile in the coming weeks as fierce battles are expected to continue in the coming weeks.