Celebrating independence in North ?

If there is an opportunity for the people in this country to celebrate the true spirit of independence after the countrygained Independence from British colonial rulers in 1948, the Security Forces are preparing to offer that valued opportunity for the nation very soon, as they are fast entering to the final battle with the LTTE in their last bastion in Mullaitivu.

Though it is difficult to fix dates for the final victory, in the context of sensitivity of the terrain in which the LTTE is preparing for its final battle with over 150,000 human shields the Security Forces are effectively marching towards their final goal confining their territory into the North of Paranthan Mullaitivu A-35 road.

Liberating THE territory

The determined effort of the Security Forces is to liberate the entire territory under the LTTE without causing any harm to the civilians living there. It was with that determination the Army Headquarters on Wednesday announced a new safe zone for the civilians entrapped in Mullaitivu with troops poised to enter the final phase of the battle.

The Sri Lanka Air Force has dropped leaflets informing the civilians about this new safe zone to ensure that their lives will not be endangered with the troops fighting the final battle with the LTTE.

Accordingly civilians entrapped there were asked to take refuge in an area four Kilometres long stretch to the North of Udayarakattu junction and the Yellow Bridge on the A-35 Puthukuduyiruppu - Paranthan Main road up to Iruthumadu and another eight Km long area from the South of Iruthumadu up to Thevapuram. The entire area is located in the North of Puthukuduiruppu Vishvamadu road, which is a part of the Paranthan Mullaitivu A-35 road.

The Security Forces took this urgent measure after making several appeals for the civilians to enter the Security Forces controlled areas as they have been left with no other option but to continue this fight until they see an end to it on behalf of 19 million people of the country.

For the last few days there was a drastic drop in the number of civilians fleeing the Tiger grip as the LTTE was imposing severe restrictions on the civilians to bar them entering the Security Forces controlled area. Therefore, there is a growing uneasiness among the civilians entrapped in Tiger controlled areas as the LTTE no longer hide things from the civilians.

It is firmly believed that the LTTE is keeping these civilians to make maximum use of them to get their leaders escape from the country as their defeat is looming with troops advancing into their nerve centres in Vushvamadu, and Puthukuduiruppu putting up a a massive frontage.

As troops prepare to make the final push there was speculation that the LTTE leader Prabhakaran had escaped from the country leaving behind his cadres and civilians in total disarray.

However, there was no concrete evidence to prove this since the LTTE chief used to operate clandestinely without moving with the public.

There is a growing suspicion that the Tiger leader had escaped from the country with the fall of Paranthan and Kilinochchi as civilians entering into Vishvamadu and Puthukuduiruppu which were highly restricted to the civilians. The Tiger leader may have resorted to this type of option, as he cannot maintain secrecy about his movement within this terrain when civilians are moving around his hideouts.

The growing suspicion also comes in the wake of the Tiger leader giving orders to their ground level cadres to fire all their ammunition stocks, in a sign that they were giving up the battle with the huge invasion of their territory by the Security Forces.

However, the Security Forces operating in Mullaitvu and Jaffna battlefront have monitored a suspicious LTTE radio transmissions about Tiger boat movement in the sea off Chalai area in the North of Mullaitvu. The Sri Lanka Navy has deployed its fleet of small boats of the Special Boat Squadron, Rapid Action Boat Squadron and the Dvora Fast Attack craft in the Mullaitivu seas as a blockade to stop Tiger cadres fleeing by sea.

Amidst, troops intercepting these suspicious radio transmissions of the LTTE one Dvora Fast Attack Craft which was operating eight Nautical Miles sea off Mullaitivu suddenly got blasted around midnight.

It has been reported that the Officer commanding of the Dvora Squadron Lt. Commander N.L. Abeysinghe, Lieutenant Sampath OIC of the Dvora, Lieutenant Perera and 17 sailors were on board the board the Fast Attack Craft bearing number P- 434.

It had suddenly blasted and sunk in the sea within one minutes after the blast. One sailor had managed to escape and got into another boat, which was operating closer by at the time of the blast.

The Navy divers have later found two bodies believed to be of the Black Sea Tiger cadres who had blasted the Dvora Fast Attack Craft either by fixing explosives into it or by reaching it with the help of a barge which cannot be identified in rough seas.

Tiger movements

The officers and the sailors on board the Dvora Fast Attack Craft were reported missing after the incident. Security Forces believe that a set of Tiger cadres left the country amidst this blast to an unknown destination creating the suspicion that top Tiger leaders have fled the country.

However, Sri Lanka Navy believe that the Tiger movement was aimed to attack the Navy Dvora and not for any other purpose. But the Security Forces who are continuously monitoring Tiger conversations have also observed a change in their conversation as they are trying to give the impression that Tiger leader was very much within Vanni indicating that the he was meeting several people on daily basis.

Earlier the LTTE operatives were careful enough not to give out any indications about his movements. Therefore, this unusual pattern in Tiger conversations also is a clear indication that they are trying to pretend that he was well within Sri Lanka.

However, the claims by the Sri Lanka Navy that they have observed an aircraft reaching towards Chalai area North of Mullaitvu has also created suspicion among the people giving evidence to the claim that the Tiger leader had fled country in an air craft.

But the Sri Lanka Air Force denied these claims by the Sri Lanka Navy saying that the light the Navy personnel had observed was only a reflection of a low level orbiting satellite.

According to SLAF the beach craft on reconnaissance mission was also there in the sky within the period the Navy had observed this suspicious light, which they claim, was a suspicious aircraft.

Anti aircraft observation

However, the pilot of the beachcraft which was flying 21,000 feet high had observed this bright red light above the aircraft at 8.15. However, the soldiers at Omanthai Army camp has also observed similar type of light at 8.38 pm., and an Airman manning an anti aircraft gun had observe this light at 8.40 p.m. It has been seen over Pallai at 8.50 p.m.

The pilot of the beach craft had observed the same bright light moving East to West direction at 8.50 p.m.

According to Navy the Dvora Fast Attack craft deployed in the Sea off Chalai has fired at this suspicious light, which they believe was a suspicious aircraft.

However, none of the ground troops have observed such light closer to ground specially closer to Mullaitivu. Even if there was any chance for the LTTE to land one of their aircraft it should be at the seventh airstrip, which has not yet been liberated by the Security Forces.

This airstrip in Kariyavayal in the South of Chundikulam is located very closer to the 55 Division, which is now operating in Chundikulam area, and the 58 Division operating in the North of Vishvamadu area. Therefore, it is impossible to make such air movement without any knowledge to the ground troops operating there.

Amidst these speculations that Tiger leader Velupillai, Prabhakaran has fled the country, Malaysia, Thailand and India has issued nation wide alert about with the suspicion that Prabhakaran would have escaped to their countries.

Therefore, all these indications giving the strong impression that the fourth Eelam War is coming to an end with the speedy advance of the Security Forces into LTTE’s last bastion Mullaitivu from various fronts.

It was the 58 Division under the command of Brigadier Shavendra Silva who took the first initiative to capture Vishvamadu after they captured Tharmapuram town located 15 Km East of Paranthan. The 58 Division troops who are no in full control of Tharmapuram having captured large number of Tiger assets, including heavy vehicles, food stocks and Tiger hideouts.

It is firmly believed that the underground bunker, which was located in Tharmapuram area, was a hideout used by the Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.

However, the 58 Division faced stiff resistance from the LTTE in their advance towards Vishvamadu from Tharmapuram town, as rains of artillery and mortar, possibly the last stocks available with them towards the advancing troops.

A considerable number of troops sustained injuries due to artillery and mortar fire of the LTTE as they were not in a position to react to this situation effectively due to civilian factor.

As of yesterday the troops of the 58 Division were operating in the Western part of the Vishvamadu and they were above to enter the areas demarcated by the Army as safety zone for the civilians. Therefore, the 58 Division is poised to enter the most sensitive part of the battle mingling with the civilians who are trying their best to flee the Tiger grip in desperation.

The LTTE who had not care about the plight of the civilians have started their propaganda highlighting the plight of these civilians and have published photographs of the entrapped civilians with the sole objective of drawing the international community’s attention towards them.

Fleeing areas

At this stage, in which the LTTE has been confined to less than 450 square kilometers with more than 150,000 civilians, it is inevitable that civilians get injured in the crossfire. The wise move for the civilians to do is to flee these areas and enter the Security Forces control areas as they have been guaranteed safety there.

As 58 Division taking the control of the Vishvamadu North area the 57 Division under the command of Major General Jagath Dias is due to enter the Vishamadu South with 572 Brigade under the command of Lt. Colonel. Dhammika Jayasundera and 574 Brigade under the command of Lt. Colonel Senaka Wijesuriya entering to Vishvamadu from Kalamadukulam and Vishvamadukulam areas. As of yesterday the other battle formations Task Force III under the command of Brigadier Satyapriya Liyanage, Task Force II under the command of Brigadier Rohana Bandara and Task Force IV under the command of Colonel Nishantha Wanniarachchi had reached closer to the A-35 road form the South West and East of Puthukuduiruppu whilst 59 Division under the command of Brigadier Nandana Udawatta which is operating in the South East of Puthukuduyiruppu reaching some 1.5 Km closer to A-35 road. The 59 Division is also has intensified its pressure on Mullaitivu stronghold from the beachfront too to capture the last stronghold in the Eastern coast.

These battle formations have reached closer to A-35 road killing larger number of the Tiger cadres and capturing many of the Tiger assets including tiger ammo dumps.

The LTTE leadership has opted to fight with the troops in trenches and bunkers having linked all their bunkers through trench lines as they lack key manpower to face such a wide frontage of troops.

The only option they have been left with is the firing of artillery and mortars towards advancing troops and inflict damages to the Security Forces.

Amidst this situation the huge frontage created by the four battle formations are poised to enter into the A-35 road very soon confining the LTTE into the area North of A-35 road. That will be the area the LTTE is going to fight its final battle or to give up their last ray of hope with hundreds and thousands of civilians fleeing their territory to settle for a peaceful life in cleared areas.