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Final battle to rescue remaining civilians enters
crucial stage:
Tigers destroy own vehicles, assets
The LTTE cadres unable to withstand the military thrust on them in
the last few kilometres in the North of Mullaitivu have started blasting
and destroying their own vehicles and other assets as the final battle
to rescue the remaining civilians entered into its most crucial stage,
with the 58 and 53 Divisions entering into the newly formed safe zone
and 59 Division advanced into the area from the south.
Troops foil major LTTE attack
Ranil WIJAYAPALA
The 59 Division troops who
crossed the Waddawakkal causeway in the North of Mullaitvu
reaching the south of the No Fire Zone, on Tuesday night
foiled a major LTTE sea and ground attack to recapture the
newly liberated areas destroying a number of Tiger suicide
boats and killing scores of Tiger cadres, military officials
said yesterday.
The fighting broke out on
Tuesday around 9.30 p.m as 59 Division troops were
consolidating their positions along the earth bund they
captured after crossing the lagoon in Waddawakkal.
“Initially there were huge
Tiger suicide boats fitted with high powered engines and two
of them rammed into the bunkers held by the troops in the
ground. The engines of these suicide boats were so powerful
that they can reach the bunkers in the ground once they
landed in the beach,” the official added. Another suicide
boat that reached the shore after the initial attack was
damaged by the troops preventing it reaching the shore. Amid
the seaborne attack, more than 100 to 150 Tiger cadres
attempted to breach the newly captured earth bund South of
the safe zone but that attempt was also foiled by troops
killing scores of Tigers.
“Fierce fighting continued
till 1 am on Wednesday as the LTTE deployed some of their
suicide cadres to breach the Security Forces’ defences,” the
senior official added.
“The LTTE tried to cut off
the troops who had crossed Waddawakkal bridge by launching
this type of sea and ground attack,” the official added.
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The 58 Division has advanced further interior into the safe zone
whilst the 53 Division just entering into safe zone area are poised to
rescue the remaining civilians very soon, the officials added. Troops
operating just a few hundred metres away from the area where the LTTE is
forcibly keeping civilians, have observed many explosions inside the
safe zone and the manner in which the LTTE is setting fire to the
vehicles and other properties. “It seems that the LTTE is making a last
minute attempt to tarnish the image of the Security Forces creating
massive destruction inside the new safe zone.
The LTTE is causing civilian deaths and casualties as they cannot
hold into the area with the troops advancing both from the North and
South,” a senior military official in the battlefront told the Daily
News.
“Therefore, the next 24 hours to 48 hours will be crucial in respect
of rescuing the remaining civilians held hostage by the LTTE,” the
official added.
According to military officials, 96 civilians who crossed the
Nanthikadal lagoon using various floating equipment arrived in military
controlled areas in the early hours of yesterday.
A pregnant mother injured following firing by the LTTE, was airlifted
to Vavuniya along with her husband and two children as soon as they
reached military controlled areas under the 59 Division.
These civilians have reported that the LTTE is making desperate
attempts to stop them fleeing the Tiger controlled areas using force
against them.
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