SLAF role in Killinochchi liberation

Rafik Jalaldeen

Sri Lanka Air Force and its role on liberating the LTTE strategic town Killinochchi are highly acknowledgeable at a moment when the whole country is celebrating the liberation of LTTE’s de-fecto administrative and political capital Killinochchi.

The Air Force fighters under the supervision of Air Force Commander Air Marshal Roshan Goonetileke showed their efficiency to preserve sovereignty and territorial integrity of the motherland. The East was liberated by the Security Forces and in this humanitarian mission the Air Force provided assistance to the advancing troops.

The Air Force Kfir jets successfully destroyed one of the LTTE key commanding centers in the Killinochchi district and killed the LTTE Political Wing Leader S.P. Thamilchelvan on November 2007. This dealt the LTTE a severe blow. The Tigers understood that the Air Force was one of the heavy obstacle in their fight against the Security Forces. Therefore, the LTTE attacked the Air Force base in Anuradhapura on October 2007. The LTTE failed in this mission and all 20 Black Tigers who participated in it were killed on the air base ground.

Despite the Air Force losing several helicopters and other airborne facilities due to the Tiger attack at the Anuradhapura air base, its air power capacity was never weakened by the LTTE.

The Air Force with its capability and power continued its support to the advancing ground troops in the Killinochchi district launching aerial attacks targeting the LTTE supply lines over the sea. Assisting the Navy, the Air Force fighter planes destroyed LTTE vessels, sea Tiger’s camps and boats cutting of reinforcements and arms transporting to the LTTE in the Vanni region.

The Air Force Kfir jets, MI-24, MI-27 helicopters and F7 fighter jets launched and pounded series of aerial attacks in support of Task Force-1 and troops attached to division 57 marching towards the Killinochchi town. The Air Force fighters destroyed number of the LTTE commanding centers, defence lines, mortar pads, gathering points, bunker lines, LTTE leaders hide outs, communication centers, ammunition dumps, weapon storages and other LTTE installations.

All these of air attacks disabled the LTTE capability to resist advancing Security Forces. The LTTE cadres facing heavy defeat in the Vanni front by the ground troops.