கிளிநொச்சியை முத்தமிடும் தூரத்தில் சிறீலங்கா படையினர்--லக்பிம

[தராக்கி]

நான்காம் கட்ட ஈழப்போர் தீர்மானிக்கும் கட்டத்தை அடைந்துள்ளதாக லக்பிம செய்திதாள் தமது பாதுகாப்பு கட்டுரையில் குறிப்பிட்டுள்ளது.

படையினர் இன்னும் குறைந்தளவு தூரத்தையே கிளிநொச்சியைக் கைப்பற்றும் போரில் கொண்டிருப்பதால் இந்த போர் உக்கிரமடையும் என அந்த செய்திதாள் குறிப்பிட்டுள்ளது.

57 படைப்பிரிவு கடந்த வாரம் 1990க்கு பின்னர் கொக்காவிலை கைப்பற்றியுள்ளதாக லக்பிம குறிப்பிட்டுள்ளது.

எனினும் தமிழீழ விடுதலைப்புலிகள் தொடர்ந்தும் தமது பாரிய எதிர்த்தாக்குதல்களை படையினருக்கு எதிராக நடத்திவருவதாக லக்பிம குறிப்பிட்டுள்ளது. இந்தநிலையில் புலனாய்வுதுறை தகவல்களின்படி, கிளிநொச்சியை தமிழீழ விடுதலைப்புலிகள் இலகுவில் விட்டு செல்வர் என எதிர்ப்பார்க்கமுடியாது என தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

இங்கு படையினருடன் மோதலில் ஈடுபடும் போராளிகளுக்கு கேணல் பாணு மற்றும் லோரண்ஸ் ஆகியோர் தலைமை ஏற்றுள்ளனர். அத்துடன், வடக்கில் இருந்தும் பெருமளவான போராளிகள் கிளிநொச்சி களமுனைக்கு அழைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளனர் என லக்பிம குறிப்பிட்டுள்ளது

Army within kissing distance of Kilinochchi town

By Ranga Jayasuriya

The fourth Eelam war has entered a decisive stage with troops moving as close as four kilometres of Kilinochchi city limits, the administrative headquarters of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. Last week, Army Commander Lt. Gen Sarath Fonseka went on record, claiming at a book launch by journalist Tissa Ravindra Perera, that troops would fire the first salvos at guerillas defending the town next week. Some military units are in the vicinity of the southern perimeters of Kilinochchi and troops are in sight of city buildings there.

Past battles

On Friday, troops of the 57 Division captured Kokavil, south of Kilinochchi for the first time since 1990. On June 11, 1990, the Kokavil military camp - which housed 69 men commanded by young Lt. Saliya Upul Aladeniya - came under LTTE attack. The fall of Kokavil in 1990 was a fiasco in a long list of past military blunders. But, it also highlighted the valour of troops who fought to the last man.

Lt. Aladeniya, and his two platoons were assigned to the Rupavahini relaying station in Kokavil. His troops, outnumbered by LTTE cadres, fought for 14 days despite running short of food, water and ammunition. When Aladeniya was finally requested by his company commander Major Nihal Wijesuriya to pull out from the camp, the young Lieutenant declined saying he had so many wounded men and that he would never abandon them. An hour later, he radioed Major Wijesuriya to say that the camp had been surrounded by the LTTE and that defending it was no longer possible. He urged his superior to send air force fighter jets to bomb the camp. He chose to die while seeing the enemy perish. Aladeniya and his men fought the Tigers to the last bullet. Lt Saliya Aladeniya was posthumously awarded the Parama Weera Vibushanaya (PWV), the highest war time award for valour in combat. He is the first recipient of this award.

Almost two decades since the sacrifices made by these men, the 572 Brigade pushed into Kokavil. The soldiers captured the old railway station and were operating three hundred meters from the A9 Road by the end of last week. They are expected to consolidate control over the A9 road. Another unit of the 57 Division are advancing towards Mankulam, the second most important town on the A9 road in Tiger territory.

Meanwhile, air force fighter jets bombed LTTE cadres who ere using heavy machinery to build a fresh trench line in Akkarayankulam. The LTTE strategy is to extend the existing trench line between Nachchikudah and Akkarayankulam upto Kilinochchi.

Trenches

During the past two months, the security forces fought pitched battles along this trench. Late last month, the Tigers launched a counter-attack, killing 50 soldiers in Akkarayankulam. Still the troops succeeded in breaching several points along the trench, thereby making the defence of the trench largely irrelevant. However, guerrillas continue to put up stiff resistance to the troops of the 58 Division advancing towards Pooneryn. Fierce battles broke out along the Tiger defence line in Nachchikudah throughout the last week. On Friday, troops of 6 and 12 Gemunu Watch captured a stretch of 600 meters of the Tiger defence in Vannerikulam.

The military strategy is one of attrition rather than of capturing territory. According to senior military officials, maximum casualties were inflicted on the guerrillas and this would diminish the LTTE’s ability to counter attack. Intelligence reports predict that the Tigers are not prepared to let Kilinochchi fall without a last ditch battle. Tiger commanders Banu and Lawrence are commanding the LTTE cadres and are digging in for a protracted fight. Additional guerrillas have been brought in from the Northern front.

The security forces have kept away from the A9 road so far, in order to allow civilian traffic to flow smoothly, said a senior military official. He said a massive exodus of civilians reminiscent to Vakarai is expected anytime. The government earlier asked people to move out from the Vanni to Vavuniya, yet that request is hardly heeded for the moment. Contrary to the government’s request, people are moving deeper into guerrilla territory as the war engulfs their villages, the reports from the Vanni states. There is a steady trickle of IDPs heading to Puthukudiyiruppu and Vishwa Madu.

Meanwhile, the air force continued to pound LTTE positions in Vanni throughout the last week. Fighter jets and MI 24 attack helicopters carried out two night raids on high value LTTE targets during last week. K-fir interceptors bombed a safe house of the LTTE leadership in Piramantalkulam on Tuesday and on the following day. MI-24 gun ships also bombed a LTTE radar station in Nagavanthurai in Pooneryn. No reports of casualties were available.

A senior air force source told this column a group of civilians have confirmed the downing of the LTTE’s Zling 143 aircraft by the SLAF.

Meanwhile some 37 civilians fleeing their villages in Mullaitivu surrendered to the Navy in Pulmoddai. They claimed that their relatives in Puthukudiyiruppu saw the downing of the aircraft which had fallen onto Iranapalai, in Mullatitvu, and said the two pilots were killed. The area had been cordoned off by the Tigers after the crash.

http://www.tamilskynews.com/index.php?opti...4&Itemid=54