Forces brave incessant rains, breach Tiger obstacles in march towards Kilinochchi

It is an anxious situation for some people as they expect the troops to advance so fast into Kilinochchi as they are not aware of difficulties the troops have to overcome to advance each inch on the ground, amidst the monsoonal rains and huge minefields they have to cross to reach their destination.

As the Government considers the Indian factor on the military offensives in the North especially coming in the form of pressures from Tamil Nadu politicians on the Central Government of India, the Security Forces went ahead with their scheduled plan to reach the stipulated objectives before them within a set time frame.

Whilst South Indian controversy echoed in the Southern polity at different levels, the troops in the Kilinochchi front, unaffected by any of these controversies, cleared their path towards achieving their victory against the LTTE overcoming all the obstacles they faced on the ground due to the heavy North East monsoonal rains and the barriers the LTTE had created to slow down their march towards the victory which is already in their sight.

The battles now unfolding in the South of Kilinochchi and also in the Western part of the Kilinochchi district in the north of Nachchikuda have turned out to be a more decisive one in the face of the current political developments vis-a-vis Indian factor.

Military operations

However, President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Government has very clearly stated they will not abandon the military operations to defeat LTTE terrorism in face of any international pressures since the Government waged a war against LTTE terrorism which has become a menace to the country for the past two and half decades, but not against the Tamil civilians.

The main arguments of the Tamil Nadu politicians, should therefore be directed towards the LTTE, which had become the main factor to deprive the Tamil civilians of their basic rights and put them into this tragic situation. They have been taken hostage to quench their thirst for blood, not to seek any liberation to the Tamil community.

Therefore, military operations now on in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts in the true sense have become an operation to liberate the civilian population who had been subjected to the tyrannical rule of the Tiger leader Prabhakaran for the past two and half decades and to crown them with democracy.

Monsoonal rains

It is an anxious situation for some people as they expect the troops to advance so fast into Kilinochchi as they are not aware of difficulties the troops have to overcome to advance each inch on the ground, amidst the monsoonal rains and huge minefields they have to cross to reach their destination.

They are not machines but human beings made out of flesh and blood like the others in the South and have undertaken this Herculean task on behalf of the country.

During the week starting from last Saturday the troops attached to the 57 Division under the command of Major General Jagath Dias and the Task Force I or the 58 Division under the command of Brigadier Shavendra Silva cleared a major barrier that they came across in the Kilinochchi district by capturing the entire earth bund from Pandiveddikulam to Akkarayan.

A five kilometre portion of the earth bund from Pandiveddikulam to Akkarayan came under the 57 Division; from Vannerikulam East to Akkarayankulam West whilst the remaining ten Kilometres stretch from Pandiveddikulam to Vannerikulam East came under the Task Force I or the 58 Division.

A major portion of the earth bund, nine kilometres, from Pandiveddikulam to Akkarayankulam East was under the control of the 58 Division and only one Kilometre stretch was to be captured by the troops in the east of Vannerikulam by the 58 troops.

The balance five Kilometres stretch coming under 571 Brigade under the command of Colonel G.V. Ravipriya had to be captured if they were to move further northwards, since the LTTE was holding this earth bund strongly.

It was last Saturday morning the troops attached to the 57 Division and the Task Force I launched their advance towards the earth bund.

The Sinha Regiment under the Command of Subashana Welikala, 9 Gajaba Regiment under the command of Lt. Colonel. Chandana Somaweera and 12 Sinha Regiment under the command of Lt. Colonel Bandara launched their offensive on Saturday to capture the earth bund from Akkarayan west to Vannerikulam east by the 57 and 58 troops together.

Fierce fighting

Simultaneously, the 572 Brigade also advanced from the East of Akkaraynakulam to capture another earth bund which had been constructed by the LTTE from South to North direction from the Akkarayan - Kokavil road to stop any troops advance towards Kilinochchi from the south west direction.

Fierce fighting erupted along the entire front from Akkarayan to Vannerikulam in the troops’ bid to capture the entire earth bund from Akkarayan West to Vannerikulam East. Amidst stiff resistance troops crossed the man made open area ahead of the ditch cum earth bund and the mine fields. The troops were ready with their logs to construct bunkers in the earth bund once they captured it.

Around 6.30 am on Saturday troops had their first confrontation with the LTTE and after fierce battles the troops were able to capture 1.7 Kilometres of the earth bund in the West of Akkarayankulam on Saturday itself. The 58 Division troops also completed their task of capturing a one kilometre stretch east of Vannerikulam amidst stiff resistance.

The LTTE continued with their CS gas attacks after mixing chlorine into it as fierce fighting erupted in the West of Akkarayankulam but there was no effect on the troops as they were well equipped with gas masks to face this situation. Amidst stiff resistance troops were able to push the Tiger cadres back and take control of a three Km stretch of earth bund by Sunday (October 19).

Scores of casualties were reported among the troops as troops crossed mine fields and booby traps ahead of the earth bund. There were over 100 casualties and nearly 30 were soldiers killed after getting caught in AP mines and trappings set by the LTTE to stop the troop advance into the earth bund and some went missing amidst fierce fighting.

Gas attack

Amidst the fighting in the west of Akkarayankulam the troops attached to the 572 Brigade also advanced from the east of Akkarayankulam to capture the earth bund which has been constructed from south to north covering the Western flank of Kilinochchi. The troops of the 8 Sri Lanka Light Infantry Regiment who advanced from the east of Akkarayankulam faced a sudden gas attack around 10.30 am and 30 odd soldiers including an officer had to be withdrawn from the front as they reported burning effects and vomiting after they faced this gas attack.

Though speculation spread in the South that a large number of soldiers were killed due to this gas attacks, there was none who got killed due to these gas attacks from the first date of these attack. Almost all the soldiers faced with these gas attacks returned to the battle after brief treatments.

There were instances, the LTTE itself had to face the consequences of these gas attacks, due to the prevailing wind patterns as they themselves got affected once gas canisters were fired at the troops. On Sunday the Tiger cadres engaged in their efforts to recapture the earth bund faced such a situation and intercepted radio transmissions confirmed that Tiger cadres on the front complaint about the situation to their superiors.

The 57 troops, amidst stiff resistance from the LTTE continued its mission and completely captured the stretch of earth bund from Akkarayankulam west to Vannerikulam east.

Meanwhile, the Task Force I or the 58 Division troops operating form the North of this earth bund captured the Anaittan village located North of Vannerikulam on Wednesday. Anaittan is a village situated north of Vannerikulam.

This is a prime village located on the centre of the Pandiveddikulam and Akkaraynakulam on the Nachchikuda Kokavil road which is the last prominent road from the west coast to the A-9 road. The LTTE had constructed their Northern FDL from Pandiveddikulam to Akkarayn keeping the road to their side approximately 1 Km South of the road.

Earth bund capture

With the capture of the earth bund from Pandiveddikulam to Akkarayanakulam troops from both 57 Division and the 58 Division are now in a position to march further northward and the 58 Division has already advanced some five kilometres north from the earth bund and the LTTE on a daily basis is losing the area Northward towards the limited space available for them on the A-32 road.

With these developments areas like Kiranchi, Vallaipadu, Devil’s Point are severely threatened and existence of Nachchikuda the last available fishing village under the control of the LTTE is almost uncertain.

Despite these developments the Army has not yet shown any concern towards Nachchikuda but expedited their move towards North may be expecting a natural death to Nachchikuda under threat.

The troops attached to the 58 Division have also already captured Paruviatan, Adampamoddai, Pallavarayanakddu being the latest.

During the week the troops attached to 58 Division have captured LTTE bodies on daily basis. A minimum of 10 to 15 Tiger cadres are killed daily.

58 Division Troops take their vehicles through muddy roads in Kilinochchi

The most significant feature in the battlefront these days is that troops are continuing their fight against the LTTE amidst heavy rains in the area resulting in flooded roads forcing the troops to move in their vehicles to the battlefront.

Military thrust

Also troops are operating in the open air soaked to the skin but they are fighting harder with the LTTE though the situation is extremely difficult for them as they see the end of the tunnel now.

As troops continue their military thrust on the LTTE, from the 57 and 58 Division fronts, the LTTE leadership has once again decided to have another experiment in the deployment of their cadres as they observe no success after deploying cadres mixing with the Imran Pandayn cadres and Charles Anthony cadres.

According to latest reports they have decided to lift the spirit of their fighting cadres to the battle front to face the advancing troops as they have already passed the obstacles ahead of them with the capture of the earth bund.

Therefore, it is expected that the LTTE would deploy Charles Anthony and Imran Pandyan cadres to the battlefront in the coming days.

By this time, according to latest reports 95 per cent of the civilians who used to live in Kilinochchi have already vacated the town and shifted towards Puthukuduiruppu and Vishvamadu.

The Government continued with its humanitarian mission of feeding these Internally Displaced Civilians sending food convoys sufficient to feed the via the Puliyankulam-Oddusudan road to reach Puthukuduiruppu amidst various criticisms.

It has now been reported that some disgruntled politicians from the TNA were behind the Tamil Nadu situation as they have circulated some false video clippings highlighting the way people entrapped in uncleared areas are suffering without enough food.

It was after this false campaign the Tamil politicians in Tamil Nadu had organised these demonstrations and agitation campaigns demanding an immediate ceasefire.

The LTTE attempted to destroy two merchant vessels Nimalawa and Ruhunu in the sea North of Mailady reaching towards the ship and one exploded close to MV Nimalawa causing minor dames to the ship.

Investigations have not yet revealed from which direction the LTTE had launched these suicide boats.

It can be either from Eastern coast or the deep sea from the North with the assistance of another craft since these small suicide craft cannot sail in deep seas.

The Navy had foiled the LTTE attempt destroying them without allowing them to reach the target avoiding what would have been a big disaster at this point of time.

Therefore the country should prepare to face such a situation as the LTTE would confront a desperate situation in the coming weeks.