17th September 2000

Military Court to probe initial 'Op. Rivikirana'

It seemed a case of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. Exactly a week after "Operation Rivikirana" (Sun's Rays) launched on September 3, ended in a fiasco, troops sprang a surprise on Tiger guerrillas.

They resumed their thrust eastwards from Columbuthurai and ended further extending their defence lines by some two and half kilometres. The newly re-captured territory stretched eastwards from the Jaffna town area and continued southwards near the coast at Ariyalai. This was the limited objective of that phase of "Operation Rivikirana" and was achieved within just three hours. It began shortly after 6 a.m. on Monday (September 10) and was aimed at restricting supplies to guerrillas holed up in the eastern flank of the Jaffna town. The move also secured the Jaffna town area from mortar fire.

The return to areas near Ariyalai came exactly four months after the general area was lost. On May 10, this year, guerrillas attacked the defence line at Ariyalai after capturing two bunkers manned by troops. A wide gap occurred on the Main Supply Route from Ariyalai Junction towards the Navatkuli bridge. Bitter fighting ensued. A Main Battle Tank was damaged. Thirty three soldiers were killed and 208 were injured during the incident. The next day, troops fell back and re-adjusted their defence lines in Columbuthurai east. On this day guerrillas attacked Thanankilappu and captured territory south of it. Nine soldiers were killed and 115 were injured in this incident.

Evidently, Tiger guerrillas did not expect an immediate assault, one just a week after troops had suffered their latest debacle. As reported in these columns last week, after four days of harassing fire to soften LTTE targets, troops launched "Operation Rivikirana" at 5.30 am on Sunday, September 3.

Its aim was to link a large chunk of territory eastwards from the security forces held Jaffna town to near Navatkuli and later to Chavakachcheri and northwards to Sarasalai. Just before crack of dawn, troops broke out from two flanks. One thrust was from their defences at Sarasalai and neighbouring Nunavil. Troops were to advance in a south easterly direction through marsh land towards the A-9 (Jaffna-Kandy highway) at Chavakachcheri.

Towards noon that day, they had advanced well over one and half kilometres but later withdrew to their original positions due to heavy enemy mortar fire. The second thrust came from the security forces controlled Jaffna town area. Troops broke out from their defences at Columbuthurai. They advanced some half a kilometre in an easterly direction, in the direction of the Navatkuli bridge astride the A-9 (Jaffna- Kandy highway). Troops re-captured a half a kilometre stretch despite heavy mortar fire but called off their advance. It is from here that they began their advance last Sunday.

During the previous thrust, more than 125 officers and men were killed and over 800 wounded. Military Intelligence sources claimed last week that according to LTTE radio intercepts, 115 cadres had died. These sources said they had been identified by name. But a clandestine Voice of Tigers broadcast heard in the north last week placed the toll at 68.

The outcome of the first phase of the operation caused concern at the highest levels of the Government including the National Security Council. The need to have accountability whenever military operations go awry has been acknowledged both by the political and military establishment. With this in view, Army Commander, Lt. Gen. Lionel Balagalle, will next week appoint a three member Military Court of Inquiry to probe how phase one of "Operation Rivikirana" ended in a fiasco. The terms of reference of the Court is to include provisions to identify reported failures by some officers to order their men to advance. It is likely that the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army, Major General Neil Dias, will head the three member Court.

Last Sunday's surprise resumption of "Operation Rivikirana" was no cake walk for the troops although it took the Tiger guerrillas by surprise. Bitter battles were fought.

Troops advanced under cover of artillery, mortar and well co-ordinated air support, according to a senior Army official who spoke on grounds of anonymity. He said the move considerably lessened guerrilla mortar fire thus minimising troop casualties.

He also said that the highlight of last Sunday's fighting was the destroying of the railway bridge at Navatkuli, until then one of the strongholds of the guerrillas. They had moved to this bridge after abandoning the adjoining bridge along the A-9 (Jaffna-Kandy) highway, which is located parallel to it. This was after this bridge along the motorway became vulnerable to Army artillery fire. The completion of last Sunday's operation had pushed the LTTE to take up position further eastwards of the bridge.

After the surprise resumption of "Operation Rivikirana", the Operational Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence said on September 10 "12 SF personnel were killed." The next day, September 10, it said "further to the press release on September 10, 17 security forces personnel including one officer were killed." The death toll therefore was 29 officers and men killed. On September 12, security forces handed over 16 bodies of Tiger guerrillas to the LTTE through delegates of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

The news of the successful limited operation prompted Deputy Defence Minister, Anuruddha Ratwatte, to take time off his electioneering schedule in Kandy and fly to Jaffna to meet senior military officials, field commanders and soldiers. On hand were Chief of Defence Staff, General Rohan de S. Daluwatte, Army Commander Lt. Gen. Lionel Balagalle, Navy Commander Vice Admiral Cecil Tissera and Air Force Commander, Air Marshal Jayalath Weerakoddy. The visit also saw a top level conference where Security Forces Commander, Jaffna, Major General Anton Wijendra and other senior officers in the area attended.

As reported in these columns last week, security forces in the north have been ordered to continue to maintain pressure on Tiger guerrillas. As I said last week, one would logically expect, among other things, moves to oust Tiger guerrillas, firstly from territory they have seized in the Jaffna peninsula.

Significantly these offensives are unfolding with little over two weeks to go for the Parliamentary general elections. Adding further significance is this week's change of heart in the defence establishment to escort local media on tours to the north – the first time since the security forces suffered debacles beginning with those in the Wanni in November last year. In the past weeks, foreign media representatives have been allowed to visit the north whilst the Ministry of Defence has turned down requests from the local media, including The Sunday Times, for their representatives to visit the north. This was both to report on the military situation as well as the conduct of election campaigns in the area. With moves to continue to maintain pressure on the LTTE, media visits to the north will sure make headlines on a polls eve.

That the Army is pressing on with "Operation Rivikirana" despite heavy casualties in the initial stages, which forced them to stall their advance, reflects a new found sense of military confidence. That the Government appears to be equally determined to carry out this offensive, risking the political repercussions of military casualties on the eve of elections, endorses the confidence reflected by the Army. Obviously, the Government's calculations are that the political rewards of any military victory outweighs any set backs that may result from military casualties.

In the context of this confidence, it is re-assuring to note that a Military Court of Inquiry is being appointed to go into the reasons which caused the initial military operation to stall. The re-assessment of operations is essential to the correction of future offensive operations. This is something the Sri Lanka Army has been slow to do earlier.

Any military success will also to some extent restore the political image of the Government that was badly bashed after the series of military debacles since November, last year. It will also justify the enormous military expenditure in the aftermath of these debacles.

Moreover, it will demonstrate that the Government is not neglectful of equipping the security forces, whatever be the costs, to combat the LTTE. These are windfalls from any military successes that not only could be politically exploited in the run-up to elections but also used to counter accusations by hard line political groups of the Government compromising national interests to compromise with the LTTE.

All these maneouvering subscribes to confirm that the conflict in the North and East is a matter that all political parties are interested in to exploit for their parochial interests. It also clearly highlights the lack of unity and sense of collective national purpose in solving the most critically political issue that is the single most factor in dragging the nation to abysmal depths of social, political and economic chaos.

The Fifth Column

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