Troops clearing final hurdles in march towards Kilinochchi

Ranil Wijayapala

Akkarayankulam: Troops attached to the 57 Division and Task Force I, successfully continued their mission to capture the massive earth bund which has been described as the last obstacle in their march towards Kilinochchi, capturing over 1.5 Km stretch of earth bund in the West of Akkarayankulam and another stretch from the east of Akkarayankulam inflicting heavy damage on the LTTE, Military sources told the Daily News yesterday.

Fierce fighting erupted in Akkarayankulam west yesterday too as the LTTE continued to launch counter attacks on the troops now holding the massive earth bund west of Akkarayankulam tank as they are aware that the loss of this earth bund will result in losing the Akkarayan village also to the troops.

“Casualties were reported from both sides as pitched battles erupted west and east of Akkarayankulam tank on Saturday and Sunday as LTTE exerted maximum effort to stop the capture of the earth bund.

But troops successfully captured a large extent of the earth bund on Saturday pushing the LTTE further northwards”, sources added.

Task Force I operating under the command Brigadier Shavendra Silva in the Kilinochchi district moving towards Nachchikuda by yesterday afternoon completed the task of capturing the earth bund from west of Pandiveddikulam to Akkarayan west, capturing one kilometres stretch of earth bund in the east of Vannerikulam.

With the capture of the one km stretch of earth bund in the east of Vannerikulam the Task Force I troops have fully captured the 10 Kilo meters stretch of earth bund between the west of Pandiveddikulam and towards the east of Vannerikulam.

Pandiveddikulam is located some seven Kilometres north east of Nachchikuda.

There is only a three Kilo metres stretch of the earth bund west of Akkarayankulam to be captured by the 57 Division to take full control of the earth bund from west of Pandiveddikulam to Akkarayankulam.

“The only stretch of earth bund which had not been captured by the Task Force I troops is located between Nachchikuda to Jayapuram which is 11 Kilo meters in length.

But troops are now in control of the areas seven Kilometres north of Nachchikuda and the existence of this stretch of earth bund is not effective for the LTTE to defend the Nachchikuda Sea Tiger base,” sources added.

The Task Force I troops continued their march towards the north of the earth bund capturing Adampamodai village which is located 10 Km north east of Nachchikuda by yesterday afternoon.

With the capture of the Adampamodai village Task Force I troops can launch attacks towards Pooneryn in the North, Kiranchi or Valaipadu in the West, Nachchikuda in the South or Kilinochchi in the East, as they are now operating in an area with access to all directions.

Security Forces confirmed that over 75 Tiger cadres were killed on Saturday in both 57 and Task Force I battle fronts and more than 125 cadres were injured.

A number of troops sacrificed their lives in their effort to capture Akkarayankulam west tank bund and many others sustained injuries.

But the majority of the casualties were in the P3 category and reported back to the battlefront by yesterday afternoon.