Features | Online edition of Daily News

The heavy rains that played havoc in the Wanni has ceased to a certain extent and the battle in the Wanni front once again returned to its full form within the past few days with troops poised to exert increased pressure on the LTTE now entrapped in a limited area in the Wanni, as the Sri Lanka Army is ready to launch its sixth offensive division into Wanni liberation operation.

The Army Headquarters on Wednesday came out with the new appointments to the newly formed Task Force IV to be deployed to the Mullaitivu front.

According Army Headquarters Colonel Nishantha Wanniarachchi from the Sri Lanka Artillery Regiment, the Deputy General Officer Commanding of the 59 Division has been appointed as the Commander of the Task Force IV whilst Lt. Colonel Priyantha Wijegunawardena is the Colonel General Staff.

Lt. Colonel Indrajith Bandara presently the Commanding Officer of the 12 Sinha Regiment has been appointed as the 641 Brigade Commander whilst Lt. Colonel Randula Hatnagoda presently the Commanding Officer of the 14 Sinha Regiment was appointed as the 642 Brigade Commander.

This will be the eight offensive Division now in operations against the LTTE and the sixth offensive Division to be deployed for the Wanni liberation operation. The 57 Division was the first offensive Division to commence its operations in February 2007 with the aim of liberating the Wanni.

The LTTE, now entrapped in the areas East of A-9 road in the Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts, would feel the real military pressure as all fronts are now advancing into the centre of Wanni from all fronts to exert more pressure on the Tiger outfit giving them two options to choose, either to face defeat or to give up the battle and surrender to the Security Forces.

Anyone, who can read the battlefront properly can understand the fact that the LTTE has no escape in the Wanni as their main stronghold, Kilinochchi has already been encircled by the troops from the South and West. Kilinochchi, the de-facto political capital of the LTTE, is coming under pressure both from the 58 Division now operating in the North and North West of Kilinochchi, and from the 57 Division.

The biggest pressure is coming from the 57 division under the command of Major General Jagath Dias with 571 Brigade now operating in the west of Kilinochchi, the 572 Brigade operating in the south west of Kilinochchi and the 574 Brigade operating in the south of Kilinochchi.

The Task Force I or the 58 Division operating under the command of Brigadier Shavendra Silva is heading towards west to east aiming to reach the key Paranthan junction, from which troops can deal a major blow to Kilinochchi from the Northern edge once they reach the Paranthan junction.

The floods on the Pooneryn Paranthan road during the past week created difficulties for the troops to operate there as many of the areas were impassable for the troops. Currently they are engaged in a war of attrition targeting to kill the maximum number of Tiger cadres in the defence line by means of armour, artillery and air attacks.

The construction of earth bunds has become the only option of the LTTE for defending their area as they, for the past few years, have adopted more conventional types of warfare deviating from their guerrilla type attacks.

But on the contrary the troops have deviated from their conventional pattern of fighting, in their bid to defeat the LTTE as they have always overpowered the LTTE in all the battles they have fought so far in jungle terrains.

That is the key to success for the Security Forces victories against the LTTE for the past two and half years. If they too waited for the enemy to advance into their territory by constructing earth bunds and bunker lines, the Security Forces too would have to face the same consequences like the LTTE.

At present the 58 Division is operating very close to the earth bund which has been constructed from the North to South covering the Western flank of the Kilinochchi town. The 58 Division has already passed quite a number of such earth bunds from the beginning of the operations in the Mannar ‘Rice Bowl’ in their march towards Pooneryn.

From the West of Kilinochchi too, the 571 Brigade under the command of Colonel G.V. Ravipriya is posing a major thrust on the LTTE defences whilst 572 Brigade operating in the South West of Kilinochchi is dominating a more than one kilometres stretch of the earth bund.

Colonel Senaka Wijesuriya reached the outskirts of Kilinochchi from the south reaching close to Therumurikkandi. The 574 Brigade has also advanced some four Kilometres east of A-9 road towards the Iranamadu tank area soon after the rains ceased in Kilinochchi area.

During this advance the 574 Brigade also captured Kokavil town on the Jaffna Kandy A-9 road. With that advance troops are in full control of the A-9 road from one Kilometre south of Mankulam towards Therumurikandi area in the north of Kokavil.

With these developments troops are in a position to use the A-9 road to bring in their supplies especially during this rainy season. The situation is expected to reach a new momentum as Task Force II operating in the West of A-9 road South West of Mankulam by yesterday noon advanced towards Puliyankulam the key junction town on the A-9 road in the north of Puliyankulam.

Task Force II troops now operating in South West of Mankulam by yesterday noon entered Puliyankulam, another junction town on the A-9 road.

The capture of Puliyankulam junction will definitely put the Security Forces personnel under an advantageous position against the LTTE as they can very easily clear a supply route to the Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu front through A-9 road and also towards Mullaitivu front via Puliyankulam - Oddusudan road.

Once the Security Forces advance their defences in Omanthai to the South of Oddusudan they are in a position to control the movements on almost all the main roads in this area. Once troops of Task Force III link up with the Task Force II troops in Puliyankulam they will be in a position to have easy access to the Kilinochchi front via A-9 road Omanthai to Kokavil.

This will help the troops in the Kilinochchi South front as they are now preparing to launch a major thrust to make the logistics supplies to the Kilinochchi front easier as they have to pass newly constructed jungle paths to reach Kilinochchi front. The ground troops are making these speedy advances after months long attrition on the LTTE having operated in jungle areas. Troops are dominating these supply routes at a vital period in which they need speedy supply of logistics, arms and ammunition to the Kilinochchi front as they will be entering yet another speedy phase in the Wanni liberation operation in the coming days.

The most decisive point in the battle would be reached once all these battle fronts link up with the troops of the 59 Division now operating on the Mullaitivu front. The 59 Division is due to link with Task Force III troops in the south of Oddusudan creating the biggest ever battlefront against the LTTE leaving no room for them to escape from the Wanni.

The inducting of the newly formed Task Force IV, therefore, will be an extra burden on the LTTE as they have already been facing an acute shortage of manpower in face of defending their territory and are running out of options whether to defend Paranthan, Jaffna front, Kilinochchi or Mullaitivu.

The 59 Division now operating in the Mullaitivu front has passed a number of milestones having captured Otiyamale and Periyankulam villages in Vavuniya, Mullaitivu district border. That will be a prelude to their advance towards South of Oddusudan to link up with the Task Force III troops.

The 59 Division under the command of Brigadier Nandana Udawatta reached yet another momentum in the Mullaitivu battlefront as troops reached the strategically important Alampil, some ten Kilometres south of Mullaitivu.

Troops on the Pooneryn- Paranthan battlefront.

Colonel Priyanka Fernando and 14 Vijayaba Infantry Regiment troops advanced into Alampil from two directions. The 11 Gemunu Watch battalion advanced into Alampil from the west to east direction through Kumulamunai village whilst troops attached to the 14 Vijayaba Infantry Regiment advancing into Alampil from South to North direction in the northern edge of the Nayaru lagoon.

By yesterday afternoon they were in the process of consolidating their positions in Alampil area and advancing further southwards to the Sea Tiger base in Alampil.

According to information LTTE uses Alampil as their major Sea Tiger operational base for logistics transport from Mullaitivu via sea routes and as a launching pad for their Sea Tiger attacks targeting the fleets of Navy ships and boats operational in the Eastern seas from Trincomalee to Jaffna peninsula.

So with the capture of the Alampil in the south of Mullaitivu the troops are also heading towards the strongest military base of the LTTE on one hand whilst depriving them the Eastern coast which is not available for their logistic supplies after the Security Forces denied the LTTE access to the Western coast with the capture of Pooneryn.With these developments the area in which the LTTE has to operate is increasingly becoming limited. Therefore, fierce battles are expected to erupt in the coming days with Security Forces and the LTTE due to fight within close range unlike in the past.

The most concerning factor at this stage is the civilian population now entrapped in Wanni with LTTE cadres pointing guns on their heads to keep them under control to be used as a shield against the advancing Security Forces.

Hundreds of civilians now reaching towards cleared areas in Vavuniya, are describing the type of boiling pot experienced by the civilian population now living in Wanni close to Oddusudan and Puthukuduiruppu areas. According to these civilians the LTTE has begun the recruit the only child from families with just one child as they are not in a position to get people for their depleting ranks.

With the Security Forces defences reaching closer to the areas in which these entrapped civilians are living, an exodus of civilians is expected within the next few days. According to fleeing civilians the day is not too far the civilians to brave all these barriers created by the LTTE to reach cleared areas as their concern is not for food but for their freedom.

Therefore, the country will witness one of the most sensitive stages of the ongoing humanitarian operation to liberate the civilian population in Wanni once they get freedom from the clutches of the LTTE.

Amidst these developments, the LTTE too trying their best to create mayhem in the South by targeting politicians and defence officials in Colombo. One such suicide cadre who had reached Rambewa area through Poovarasakulam was nabbed as he was about to leave for Colombo, by the sleuths of the intelligence units.

The suicide cadre identified as Sindilan was in possession of a suicide kit filled with seven Kilograms of explosives. They have manufactured this suicide kit to penetrate even a bulletproof vehicle to target a VIP vehicle movement.

Two persons identified as Ruban from Aluthmawatha, Colombo and Radeesh from Dehiwala had gone to Rambewa area to take this suicide cadre to Colombo after hiring a car from a rent a car service. According to information revealed by the suicide cadre he has been sent to Colombo to target Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and he had studied the vehicle movements in Colombo as his movements are very frequent in Colombo and known to general public.

Therefore, people in the South will also have to expect a sensitive period in which they have to be much more vigilant than ever as troops are poised to launch the final push to capture the LTTE’s so-called political capital Kilinochchi very soon.