12th December 1999

Tiger waves smashed at Elephant Pass

Tiger guerrillas launched a Wanni style attack on Elephant Pass defences yesterday. They expected military positions to fall, one after another, like in the Wanni last month. But that was not to be.

Troops repulsed wave after wave of attacks. Security Forces Commander, Jaffna, Major General Sarath Munasinghe, reported to his higher command yesterday that more than 200 guerrillas were killed in nearly four hours of fighting. During that time, troops faced two waves of attacks. Three soldiers was killed and more than 35 wounded, six of them seriously. That included a veteran commando officer who walked out of a bunker to ease himself. He and his Radio Officer who followed were injured.

LTTE's 'Operation Ceaseless Waves Four' (Oyaatha Alaikal) came at 2.20 a.m. yesterday.

Amidst artillery and mortar barrages, two groups of Tiger guerrillas, estimated to be 75 in each, launched attacks on the defences between Kevil and the coastal village of Kadaikadu, located north of the defence complex at Vettilaikerni, in the north east coast. In one area, they attacked three bunkers and in another, two more. Armed groups then infiltrated the defences and gun battles broke out.

As this went on, three boatloads of Tiger cadres headed towards the shore at a point south of Vettilaikerni. Troops fired artillery and mortars from the shore. One boat sank and the other two withdrew towards the Sea Tiger Base at Chalai.

At the same time a flotilla of Tiger boats had also headed towards the Paranthan defences. Troops on ground engaged them in a pitched pre-dawn battle.

As the fighting receded, the guerrillas withdrew. Later they attacked again in a second wave around 5.30 a.m. At least six Sea Tiger boats were attempting a beach landing. By then, the Navy and the Air Force who were alerted, joined in the fray. Fast Attack Craft of the Navy and Mi-24 helicopter gunships of the Air Force engaged the LTTE boats forcing them to withdraw.

Troops succeeded in sealing off the breached defences. In one area, an unknown number of guerrillas were reported trapped within the defences. Troops including commandos were moving in to isolate them.

The second wave also saw a group of Sea Tiger cadres trying to make a coastal landing in a Vallam. Sri Lanka Air Force Kfir interceptor jets were brought in to engage them. It is not clear whether aerial fire hit the Vallam but the landing was aborted. A technical hitch later forced the Kfirs to withdraw.

Heavy fighting broke out again last night when Tiger guerrillas launched a fierce third wave. Troops at Kodaikadu made a tactical retreat on a kilometre long stretch but were fighting back.

The latest Tiger guerrilla attack came as security authorities introduced tough new measures, particularly in the north and east, to prevent attempts by Tiger guerrillas to trigger off violence. Though they were not aware specifically of yesterday's attack, intelligence reports were categorical that the LTTE was readying itself for attacks with just over a week to go for Presidential elections. The matter figured prominently at National Security Council meetings in the recent weeks.

Early this week, four guerrillas infiltrated defence lines in the Elephant Pass sector in broad daylight. They were members of an observation group and were spotted north of Iyakachchi around 2.30 p.m. Troops ambushed and shot all four dead. They found in their possession a large map giving security forces defensive fire positions in the area.

It soon became clear that Tiger cadres were on the final stages of a surveillance operation to attack security installations in the area. There were plans to isolate Elephant Pass and Paranthan areas after attacking military positions that formed a continuous link with the Jaffna peninsula.

For many months now, the security forces knew that LTTE had plans to attack the Elephant Pass sector. Preparations have been in place since then. Responsible for these measures was Major General Sarath Munasinghe, then General Officer Commander (GOC) the Army's 54 Division headquartered in Elephant Pass. Now, as Security Forces Commander in the Wanni, he was yesterday overseeing the working of these counter measures. Last afternoon Maj. Gen. Munasinghe flew from Palaly to Elephant Pass for a meeting with the officiating GOC, Brigadier K.B. Egodawala.

In an interview with The Sunday Times on June 30, this year, Maj. Gen. Munasinghe said "They (the LTTE) will make plans, carry out rehearsals and launch it (an attack) when they feel confident. In December, (last year), and January, this year, there was a feeling of being under siege.

"We have re-organised ourselves and pushed the enemy back. How we feel now it is different to what we felt before. Although we don't see larger concentrations here, we do know they retain the capability to muster several hundreds for an attack. They have the transport and can use the existing road network.

For obvious reasons the measures that have been in force cannot be elaborated on. However, it can be revealed that additional troops were poured into the north only last week as part of detailed preparations for any attacks. This also took place amidst threats of LTTE attacks.

Navy patrols were escorting a shipload of soldiers, more than 700 in number, from Trincomalee to Kankesanthurai, had an encounter with an LTTE trawler. The convoy had reached the high seas north east of the peninsula, some 50 to 60 kilometres north east of Point Pedro, an area usually haunted by multi day fishing vessels. Just then, they had spotted an unidentified trawler, some 15 kilometres north east of Point Pedro.

Navy men on board an Israeli-built Dvora patrol craft broke loose from the convoy and moved to check it out. They came very close to the trawler and found the vessel bore the name 'NILMINI' in Sinhala. Men on the Dvora waited till their craft positioned itself on the windward side. Through loud hailers they challenged those on board the vessel to come to deck. Three turned up with their arms raised but the Navy men were not satisfied. They insisted on others aboard the vessel coming out. But they had other plans. At first, men on board flashed lights — a signal which meant they were on innocent passage.

The commanding officer of the Dvora, Lt. Cmdr. Ediriweera, had just passed down orders to fire at the vessel. It was a second too late. Men on board the trawler had set off a deafening explosion. Four Navy men fell dead and six more were wounded. Those killed were Additional Officer Sub Lieutenant Rantenne, Able Seaman Roshan, Able Seaman Seneviratne and ME Punchi Bandara.

The Dvora had to be towed to the Dockyard in Trincomalee, home for the Navy's Eastern Command. Checks later revealed that on board systems were functioning and the fast attack craft had suffered only hull and other minor damage. Was the vessel, suspected to be carrying at least 300 kilogrammes of explosives, planning to ram the cargo vessel carrying troops? Or, were they heading for another target at Kankesanthurai or Point Pedro ports ?

Guerrilla radio intercepts revealed that four of their Sea Tiger cadres had died in the incident. They were named as 'Lt. Col.' Kerawan,

'Major' Yarl Vendan, 'Major' Konan and 'Captain' Konawan.

The same day Tiger guerrillas fired at a dinghy patrol in the Batticaloa lagoon. An Army officer and a sailor attached to the Naval Sub Unit in the area were killed.

Before yesterday's attack, security authorities had feared that the LTTE was targeting areas north of the Weli Oya sector, particularly the military base at Kokkutuduwai. That was to draw top level Government attention.

Deputy Defence Minister Anuruddha Ratwatte flew to Weli Oya to confer with military officials on counter measures. Accompanying him were Army Commander, Lt. Gen. Srilal Weerasooriya, Navy Commander Vice Admiral Cecil Tissera, Air Force Commander, Air Marshal Jayalath Weerakoddy and Police Chief, Lucky Kodituwakku. Also in his team was Gen. Rohan de S. Daluwatte, General Officer Commanding the Joint Operations Command.

This was Gen. Daluwatte's second trip in Minister Ratwatte's entourage that flies regularly to operational areas.

The first was on November 6, soon after the military reversals in the Wanni. Until then, he and the JOC — the unified command set up by President Kumaratunga to oversee military matters relating to the conduct of the ongoing separatist war — had remained isolated from. The devastating debacles in the Wanni appears to have changed it all.

In Vavuniya, the nodal town which has again become the furthest northern town under government control in the Wanni, Tiger guerrillas resorted to what military officials claimed were diversionary tactics.

They had ordered tutories to shut down and for civilians to move away from living near military installations. Was this a move to distract the security forces?

Before yesterday's attack in the Elephant Pass sector, reports from the Wanni spoke of leading LTTE cadres concentrating in the Pooneryn area. These reports were further confirmed by radio intercepts which revealed that Karuna, who led the attack on the Wanni military bases last month, was operating from the area. The presence of several other leaders have also been identified.

In another development, Medecins Sans Frontieres, the Nobel Prize Winning non-governmental medical and human rights organisations said yesterday it was "deeply concerned that continued heavy fighting in the Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka will worsen the already precarious situation of the civilian population."

A six-page statement issued by MSF noted that indiscriminate attacks on civilians and civilian property must stop. MSF calls upon the Sri Lankan army and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to abide by international humanitarian law, giving particular attention to those provisions affecting the civilian population.

MSF adds: "The actions by both the Sri Lankan army and the LTTE have placed civilians at risk. While alerting civilians of dangerous areas can help to reduce civilian casualties, international law provides that issuing warnings to a civilian population does not negate the requirement of civilian immunity from attack or the civiliansí non-combatant status.

"The restrictions on access of the population to humanitarian assistance has sharply reduced the level of assistance provided to civilians in the north. Unless such restrictions are stopped, the civilian population will continue to suffer from shortages of medical care, food and shelter materials.

Both parties should agree to the establishment of humanitarian corridors and safe areas to improve access to humanitarian assistance.

"The recent fighting has resulted in the increased deployment of landmines. Both sides should abide by the provisions of the 1997 Landmine Convention and cease producing and deploying anti-personnel mines."

All this is with only eight days to go for Presidential polls. If the military reversals in the Wanni came as a major setback to the PA political campaign, the repulsing of yesterday's attack on the Elephant Pass defences will come as good news.

Needless to say the Government will try to gain maximum mileage from yesterday's incident. Government sources said that PA leaders were also examining the possibility of ordering stern action against those responsible for the Wanni military reversals before the Presidential polls. But it is not immediately clear on what findings that Government proposed to act.

At present there are two different investigations being conducted. One is the three member Military Court of Inquiry headed by the Army's Chief of Staff, Major General Lionel Balagalle. The other is the investigation that is being conducted by the Criminal Investigation Department. Both probes are still under way.

The ongoing censorship on military news prevents revelations of findings made so far by both the investigations or comments on matters arising out of it.

Hence, one could only say that the days ahead of the Presidential elections will portend more newsworthy developments.

But how much of it Sri Lankans will become privy to as they happen is the billion dollar question.

At least one PA big wig, who has played the biggest role in the war effort, with rosy pronouncements and soothing statistics, insists that the censorship must go on at any cost.

Others have not been successful in persuading him to change his mind.

The Fifth Column

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