Incessant rain that lashed the Northern battlefront for four consecutive days has receded to a certain degree giving some sort of relief to Army officers and soldiers on the front. Removing their raincoats, or sometimes a cover made out of polythene sheets, soldiers have started to walk freely on the Pooneryn-Paranthan road which was flooded to the hilt at some places for the past few days.

They were breathing a sigh of relief as they find that sections of the road which were impassable for the past few days, have been cleared for them as the water level is fast receding towards the Jaffna lagoon. It marked the end of a different battle for the troops operating in Pooneryn a week after they captured it from the grip of the LTTE.

In reality the troops fought a battle with nature. The adverse rainy weather condition that came coupled with gusty winds halted all their normal activities as they were hit by one of the ‘worst rainy periods’ they have experienced in the battlefront for the past few days.

“We have experienced monsoons in the battlefront but not of this nature in any of the operational areas I have worked,” Lt. Colonel Jayantha Balasuriya told us while observing the way they got affected from the rain for the past few days. He was fortunate enough to have his two Commando Regiment Tac Headquarters in a permanent building by the side of Pooneryn-Paranthan road. But many of his troops in makeshift huts in and around Pooneryn were affected by the incessant rains. Lt. Colonel Jayantha Balasuriya was looking after us for the past three days giving us accommodation and food as we too were marooned in Pooneryn after Mannar-Pooneryn road got flooded at different locations after we reached there on Monday morning. The A-32 road was flooded at different points from Vellankulam to Pooneryn.

The worst was experienced on Tuesday night as the storm hit many of the roofs even that of the permanent buildings and blew them off, compelling the soldiers to struggle with the wind to keep their shelters intact. The worst scenario was created after many of their makeshift kitchens were inundated after two days of flooding.

Orders came on Tuesday night to issue ration packets to troops, as supplies were impossible at least for 48 hours.

But the main concern of the Army officials was on the troops operating in the battlefront towards Jaffna lagoon and Paranthan. Many of the troops were marooned in many parts of the lagoon in some islands and in some jungle terrains after the entire lagoon was filled with water by Wednesday morning. Brigade Commander, Lt. Colonel Sanjay Wanigasinghe and Deshapriya Gunawardena and some Commanding Officers were trying their best to locate their troops who were positioned in the Jaffna lagoon fearing any Tiger infiltration from lagoon taking the cover of the bad weather conditions, as they were passing one of the most sensitive periods at the end of November.

They were holding onto their positions even after they were hit by the water level upto their chest after their cadjan huts and tents were blown off in the gusty winds. The worst scenario is that they lost communications with their officers after their communication sets ran out of batteries after two three days’ missions in remote locations.

Many troops were struggling to keep their makeshift huts intact but ended in failure as they were inundated in flood waters. They were not only fighting with flood waters but also with venomous snake like vipers, found frequently in this terrain. Operations began on Wednesday morning to rescue the marooned troops. Many of them were holding onto their positions even after they were hit by the floods. But many troops were marooned as their locations were out of reach for the troops supplying foods and were spending more than 48 hours without fresh meals.

Many light vehicles, even tractors became immovable as they were struck in flood waters and muddy terrain as they were transporting meals to the troops operating in the front lines. The causeway near Nivil area on Pooneryn-Paranthan road which was passable for the heavy vehicles up to Tuesday evening was also flooded to more than four feet water level totally cutting off supplies to the troops operating on the front line.

But the team spirit of the soldiers still burn inside their hearts and they were not ready to give up their efforts and leave their fellow soldiers hungry in this bad weather conditions. Five soldiers from the 5 Sri Lanka National Guard tried their best to cross the causeway, but failed in the centre of it as they got caught in waves of water hitting the centre of the causeway.

All troops were affected by this situation as they could not send even ration packets for the soldiers in the front line across the causeway. Lt. Colonel Vajira Welagedara, the Commanding Officer of the 8 Gemunu Watch was on his feet accompanying his officers to make bridges across this causeway.

The 10 Gajaba troops, Commando troops and troops from several other battalions were also marooned in the same area. Their team effort made fruitful as they made a handrail to cross the causeway safely for the troops.

With sacks of ration packets on their shoulders, the troops began to cross the causeway to make their way for more than four kilometres to reach their fellow soldiers manning the Forward Defence Line in the west of Paranthan at least by Wednesday evening.

Even amidst these worst weather conditions troops have not lost their fighting spirit and kept moving ahead of their defences to fight the enemy face to face.

But there was no heavy fighting on the Paranthan front after last Sunday’s effort by the troops to crack the LTTE earth bund some eight Kilometres west of Paranthan.

Like the Pooneryn and Paranthan front in the 57 Division, Task Force III and 59 Division were also affected by the same manner as many of their supply routes were cut off due to floods. A soldier who was going on leave got caught in flood waters and was washed away and troops have not been able to locate him even by Wednesday noon.

The strong winds coupled with the heavy rains played havoc on Jaffna front too with some 200 troops marooned in Thanankilappu area, the tongue type land that stretches into the Jaffna lagoon along with some armour tanks. All supply routes were cutoff from Chavakachcheri area to Thanankilappu with all roads being inundated after heavy showers.

Not only ground troops, the Sri Lanka Navy was also affected by this strong wind with some five Dvora Fast Attack Craft being washed ashore in Jaffna and another three Water Jets operating in the Northern seas toppled due to strong winds. Some small boats of the Special Boat Squadron operating in Jaffna islands were also affected due to strong wind that hit the Jaffna peninsula and the Northern front after decades.

Not only the troops LTTE too seems to have been hit by the same bad weather conditions, as they may have observed any such effort to infiltrate the Security Forces defences would end up in a disaster. it is a nightmare to think of casualty evacuation amidst this bad weather conditions. Therefore, the real monsoons, have affected the battlefront coupled with a bad weather condition caused due to turbulence in the Bay of Bengal. Yet troops are making their best effort overcoming all these natural obstacles to push the Tiger cadres further inland. On Sunday two Commando troops infiltrated the newly constructed Tiger earth bund some eight kilometers West of Paranthan from the North and South of Pooneryn Paranthan road. At the initial stage they successfully infiltrated the Tiger earth bund having crossed a trench line with six feet width and six feet high and were able to launch a surprise attack on the Tiger cadres in some bunkers towards North. Two teams

from the Alpha Company of the two Commando Regiment made the North to South move killing at least six to seven Tiger cadres at their initial stage of the battle and were asked to take 12 Gajaba Regiment troops to the earth bund to clear it.

Meanwhile, another column of troops led by Lt. Sandaruwan of the two Commando Regiment reached the earth bund from the South of Pooneryn-Paranthan road and made their move without major resistance from the LTTE and were asked to take 17 Gemunu Watch battalion to the earth bund.

By the dawn of November 23, troops were holding a considerable stretch of this earth bund causing maximum damage to the LTTE. It was around 11 am the forward elements operating towards Jaffna lagoon observed a flotilla of Tiger boats launched from South of Kilali side approaching that direction.

Troops directed artillery and mortar fire towards the flotilla of Tiger boats fast reaching towards Security Forces defences and were able to control their movement destroying at least two of their boats.

But heavy volumes of mortars and artillery started to rain the terrain compelling the infantry troops to withdraw from the earth bund towards their original defence line but they managed to cause maximum damage to the LTTE.

Therefore, the 58 Division under the command of Brigadier Shavendra Silva, is now heading towards Paranthan in their latest bid to seal off the Kilinochchi North front and Muhamalai South Front in support of the troops operating on the Jaffna front and on the Kilinochchi front.

A troop movement in the Wanni                                                                                                          Troops affected by the heavy downpour

According to military intelligence some 2,300 Tiger cadres are strongly holding the defence line from Paranthan to Kilinochchi south and troops are facing stiff resistance from the LTTE in their bid to enter Kilinochchi town.

But troops of the 57 Division have been able to capture one kilometre stretch of the earth bund created by the LTTE to defend Kilinochchi by this week and they are closing in on to the built up area. The ground troops have also located another earth bund inside Kilinochchi built up area in the Kilinochchi town where the Sri Lanka Army had its earlier military complex. Though some predict that Kilinochchi’s fall is imminent, ground troops do not confirm this situation as they have to advance further into the built up area to fully capture the Kilinochchi town.

If the Tigers are to withdraw from Kilinochchi they will at least make their defences in Puthukuduiruppu stronger. The total strength of the LTTE should be reduced to at least by another 1,000 if Kilinochchi is to fall to the Forces’ hands. Amidst these bad weather conditions troops attached to Task Force III under the command of Brigadier Satyapriya Liyanage completely captured the Olumadu area on the Mankulam- Oddusudan - Mullaitivu A-34 road and were heading towards Oddusudan possibly to link up with the 59 Division troops.

The 59 Division troops, under the command of Brigadier Nandana Udawatta are now operating in the North of Nayaru lagoon and heading towards Nagacholai Forest reserve through Mullivavali village which is comparatively a huge village some ten to 12 Kilo metres south of Mullaitivu and towards Alampil to the East to take full control the Nayaru lagoon.

The 59 Division is due to advance towards Oddusudan to link up with the Task Force III troops in Oddusudan in the manner 57 Division and 58 Division troops linked up in South West of Periyamadu in the middle of this year.

The Army is also contemplating to form another Task Force in the coming weeks to be deployed on the Mullaitivu front to make the rest of the Wanni Liberation operation faster and stronger. Therefore, the Wanni battlefront will undoubtedly reach a momentum of its action amidst bad weather conditions to give maximum pressure to the LTTE to give up its conventional type operations and return to insurgency level operations.