28th January 2001

Troops on the road to elephant pass

The ground on the out skirts of Chavakachcheri, now a ghost town, shook every few seconds as the burst of artillery shells at forenoon, last Tuesday, continued.

Just a couple of kilometres away, security forces were directing artillery fire at Tiger guerrilla positions. In return, they were also drawing counter fire.

It came from areas north of Pallai, an area with lush coconut plantations, located on the isthmus that links Jaffna peninsula with the mainland. It lies further north of Elephant Pass.

Troops who broke out of defences south of Eluthuma-dduval in a surprise night offensive had reached Muha-malai by crack of dawn on Tuesday. It was only then that the Tiger guerrillas had observed a larger presence of troops. More importantly, it was only then did they realise a vast chunk of territory which they periodically dominated had fallen into the security forces hands without much confrontation.

That Tuesday morning, the security forces were consolidating their positions on the new frontline. It was easier than during other operations because they were moving into bunkers set up only months before. That was soon after they withdrew from Elephant Pass and were later forced to pull out from Pallai.

LTTE artillery was raining on troops as they began clearing the bunkers and fortifying defensive positions. They resorted to counter bombardment. The deafening artillery duels came every few seconds and the exchange continued till late noon.

With steel helmets covering our heads and body armour strapped around our chest, photographer Alfred Silva and I could easily feel the burst of artillery. It shook our bodies. The helmets did not prevent the loud barrages from piercing our ears.

In one of the many abandoned shops in a supermarket complex, stacks of aluminium utensils, most of them bearing bullet holes, produced a melancholy melody every time an artillery shell exploded. Otherwise, the area resembled an abandoned cemetery with a heavy outgrowth. Every building I saw lay damaged, some with walls bearing large holes. Concrete slabs hang precariously from the reinforced steel wire, which once held them together. One could hardly see a square foot of space in the supermarket or other buildings without a bullet hole.

The monotony was broken only by the occasional emergence of an armed soldier from behind a bullet riddled or shell damaged building or another riding a push cycle with his Chinese built T-56 rifle hung on his back.

That was Chavakachcheri, once a bustling centre of commerce on a strategic junction in the Jaffna peninsula. Only bullet scarred name boards of banks, co-operative societies and shops remain alongside piles of rubble. They are testimony to the level of sophistication the 18 year long separatist war has brought about. Whilst residents of this once prosperous township languish in refugee camps, bitter fighting continues on the outskirts.

I asked the young officer accompanying us whether we could move a little more closer to where the action was. "It's too risky. We will come within artillery and mortar range," Major Jayantha Seneviratne, who once saw action with the Army's Air Mobile Brigade and now attached to Security Forces Headquarters in Jaffna, warned.Troops were firing artillery from positions far behind defence lines. Enemy artillery was falling in theses areas. He and the troops who escorted us were armed and wore protective gear.

They provided cover as Alfred and I moved in the area. We were warned to keep to the road and avoid venturing into buildings or gardens in front of houses. "There may be mines or booby traps. We have to clear the areas and pave the way for civilians to re-settle," Major Seneviratne said.

Soon after sunset last Monday night, groups of commandos and Special Forces, moved from the defences south of Eluthumadduval. That signalled the launch of stage two of "Operation Kiniheera IX" and came following weeks of surveillance conducted after secret intrusions. It became clear Tiger guerrillas were not operating in the area (east of the A-9 Jaffna- Colombo highway). They only sent in occasional patrols to the area.

Until the crack of dawn Tuesday, the special teams moved. Commandos made contact with a Tiger guerrilla group and a confrontation ensued. They recovered the bodies of five guerrilas. Security Forces Commander, Jaffna, Major General Anton Wijendra, a highly respected soldier, said 20 Tiger guerrillas were killed. Besides the five bodies commandos recovered, intercepts of LTTE communications revealed they had suffered 13 casualties. A further two bodies were observed by troops.

"With this victory, we have seized almost the entirety of the Jaffna peninsula," Maj. Gen. Wijendra said. He claimed that a series of "Operation Unceasing Waves " that helped the LTTE seize the areas in question, had led to the loss of 280 if its cadres. A further 288 were wounded.

"After seizing the areas then, Prabhakaran (LTTE leader) declared he was now seeing the lights of Jaffna. He said his men would soon re-capture the area. I cannot see anyway how Prabhakaran will get Jaffna," Maj. Gen. Wijendra declared. (See interview in box story on this page)

After commandos and Special Forces seized various points, other troops moved in to "fill in the blanks." In the process, a group stepped on what appeared to be a previously laid pressure mine. It exploded killing three officers and 13 soldiers. Hence, those killed in action during "Operation Kiniheera IX" were four officers and 21 soldiers.

At the coastal end of the new defence lines (after the second stage of "Operation Kiniheera IX"), troops found the skeletons of at least six men suspected to be soldiers. One of them was identified and the skeletal remains were airlifted to Colombo. They also found a small quantity of weapons.

The conclusion of stage two of "Operation Kiniheera IX" enabled the defence lines to run contiguously from the positions established during stage one.

On January 16, troops broke out from their defences in Iddattalpalai, a village near the Kilaly lagoon, and advanced southwards despite heavy resistance. By midday they had captured Ponnar and Kilaly. The next day, troops consolidated their positions but further advances were impeded by heavy Tiger guerrilla resistance, particularly artillery and mortar fire. Troops recovered an assortment of war like material. (See map on this page for areas re-captured during the two stages of "Operation Kiniheera IX.")

Eighty soldiers were killed during stage one with 559 being wounded, a majority of them less serious injuries. Troop advances during this stage were impeded by heavy Tiger guerrilla resistance, particularly artillery and mortar fire.

Troops penetrating into the isthmus that linked the Jaffna peninsula with the mainland did so at a significant moment. A sizable section of Jaffna residents had been told only last week that the LTTE was poising itself to launch attacks after January 24 (Wednesday) if the Government of Sri Lanka did not heed its call to accept its "unilateral cease-fire." The news had been brought to them by "Uthayan," the largest circulating Jaffna based Tamil newspaper after its Associate Editor, N. Vithyatharan, telephoned LTTE ideologue, Anton Balasingham in London.

Many Jaffna residents whom I spoke to were worried the LTTE threat would mean a rise in violence in the Jaffna peninsula. None, however, wanted themselves identified or their views quoted.

Mr. Vithyatharan himself was questioned for two hours by the Police. The Deputy Inspector General in charge of the North, Gamini Navaratne, later forwarded a report to the Ministry of Defence.

But Dr. Balasingham's remarks turned out to be nothing more than rhetoric. He failed to frighten the Government or the security forces. Four days after he breathed fire that the LTTE would hold peace talks only after pushing back Government troops to their old positions (which they held after being driven back by guerrillas), the LTTE was to climb down from talking tough.

In a statement issued last Tuesday, the LTTE said it was extending its "unilateral cessation of hostilities for another month" and "called upon the international community to persuade the Sri Lanka Government to reciprocate favourably and resume negotiations in a cordial atmosphere of peace and normalcy."

That position indeed was a far departure from the threats implied in Dr. Balasingham's statement. If he said the LTTE would attack to push back troops, the LTTE statement said the extension of the so-called ceasefire was to "prevent escalation of current hostilities into an all out war…."

Whilst the LTTE was distributing its statement from its "International Secretariat" in London, President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, explained to heads of western diplomatic missions in Colombo, the reasons why she could not accept the LTTE's offer of a unilateral cease-fire. She re-iterated the Government's position that a cease-fire should follow talks which would have to be held within a specific time frame to discuss core issues.

Speculation that international pressure may force Government to accept a ceasefire appears to have prompted EPDP leader and Minister of Development, Rehabilitation and Re-construction of the North and Tamil Affairs (North & East), to raise the issue at last Wednesday's Cabinet meeting. Like him, Prime Minister, Ratnasiri Wickrema-nayake, Ministers S.B. Dissanayake and Anuruddha Ratwatte (also Deputy Defence Minister) expressed strong views against the acceptance of a ceasefire.

President Kumaratunga made it known that there would be no ceasefire until talks commence. She emphasised that the security forces would continue with their offensive operations.

Maj. Gen. Wijendra joined other political and military leaders to declare that the LTTE 's cease-fire offer is only rhetoric and has not been observed at all in the battle areas of the North. "They have fired artillery and mortars at troop positions almost every day. There have been over 50 instances," he said. The Northern military commander said the LTTE needed time to re-arm, re-group and re-train.

It is not only military matters that are pre-occupying the LTTE in the peninsula. The entry of the EPDP in the Northern political arena and its forays into student bodies in the Jaffna University have caused concern to the LTTE, which does not want any other group to assume political leadership in the peninsula. Last week's demonstration in the University premises saw groups of Tiger cadres, with forged student identity cards, moving around. One intelligence source said they even succeeded in allowing a group of school students to enter the University precincts where the demonstration was held.

Under these circumstances, troops are poised to continue their military push. This is with assurances of military support from many quarters.

Last week, assurances came from Lieutenant General Jiri Sedivy, Chief of the General Staff of the Czech Republic during a three day visit to Colombo.

Yesterday, Pakistan's Chief of General Staff, Lt. Gen. Yusuf Khan, the topmost serving military official, arrives today in Colombo. He will meet top officials in the security forces and the defence establishment. He is here to assure Sri Lanka continued support under Pakistan's military ruler, Gen. Pervaiz Musharaff, during a visit co-ordinated by Sri Lankan Ambassador in Pakistan, Lt. Gen. (retd) Srilal Weerasooriya.

Hence, action in the battlefield will continue amidst peace initiatives.
 

The Fifth Column

Editorial/ Opinion Contents