By Amantha Perera

Government forces have slowly inched their way to the strategically located twin towns of Thunukkai and Mallavi, and last week the defence establishment in Colombo said that Thunukkai that lies west of Mallavi would fall 'any time soon.' And it did.

Troops from the 57 Division had encircled the town from three directions - west, south and bypassing the town and coming in from the north. From August 21, troops had intensified their efforts to take control of the town. And by 22 morning, the military spokesperson's offices said that troops were in control.

The capture of the town and the announcement, just a day before two provinces, the North Central and Sabaragamuwa were to go for polls would attract its own bit of criticism as being an election ploy. But according to defence higher-ups it is a significant victory. The two towns have been under Tiger control for over two decades and were important administrative outposts on western Wanni terrain, used by the Tigers.

Heavy resistance

"According to reports, arriving from Mullaithivu eastern battlefront, troops of Army 57 Division are now encircling the Tunukkai town amid heavy resistance from the terrorists. Troops have commenced approaching the strategically vital town from the north and the west since early this morning (August 21)," the Defence Ministry said on Thursday night, hours before the town was gained.

Troops however have encountered stiff resistance in the Thunukkai/Mallavi theatre, much more than they had faced when moving through north western Wanni. The Defence Ministry said Thunukkai was gained after fierce gun  battles. In fact  more resistance is likely in Mallavi.

Unconfirmed reports from the theatre said that ground troops now suspect that LTTE military big wig Theeban may have been moved to Thunukkai/Mallavi from his earlier position overseeing the Muhamalai defences, north of Elephant Pass.

He had taken over the Muhamalai sector after S.P. Tamilselvan was killed by an air raid last November. He is now among the few battle hardened commanders with extensive field experience. He was part of the Tiger forces that thwarted Operation Jayasikuru and had also played a major role in overrunning the Elephant Pass garrison.

Along with Theeban, units from the Charles Anthony unit and Victor Anti-Tank unit too have been moved into the area, according to some reports. These teams have been placed in Mallavi to direct attacks at the forces and also direct artillery from guns behind the front lines.

Dug in deep

In Mallavi, Tigers had dug in deep along the sides of Pali Aru river, but ground commanders appear to be confident that it too might fall in the coming days. The fall of Thunukkai would allow government forces to move its heavy artillery closer to Kilinochchi, making it possible to hit Tiger facilities from air as well as artillery rounds, which would be a major advantage.

As troops gain ground in the Wanni, Tigers are not only faced with air raids by jets but also by low flying helicopter gunships and artillery that can smother resistance for advancing troops.  On the same day, other reports said that troops had also entered the town limits of Nachchikudah, on the A 32 Mannar-Pooneryn road, just south of Devil's Point.

The Defence Ministry said that troops from Task Force One or the 58 Division, had approached the town from an eastern flank and once again encountered a large earth mound, similar to what was witnessed at Vellankulam.

"According to the defence sources in the area, troops have been able to dominate about 1 km stretch of the earth hump made by the LTTE, located in the Vannerikkulam area, east of Nachchikudah. Fierce fighting prevailed in the area from morning to evening, sources said," the Defence Ministry said.

Karuna's prediction

Former Tiger eastern military wing head Vinayagamoorthi Muralitharan recently told The Sunday Leader that the Tiger manpower resources and military capacity made it difficult for the group to hold on to the north western coast and they would most likely fall back from those areas into the Wanni.

The prediction appears to be turning true thus far with the Tigers moving further east, but putting up increased resistance as the troops close in on Kilinochchi.

In a new twist to the whole military equation, the Tigers appear to be fortifying themselves in the Wanni in the company of tens of thousands of civilians, who have converged on Kilinochchi and have shown no sign of moving south.

Last week Balasingham Nadesan, the Tiger political head became the latest senior cadre to publicly call for popular support against government forces, now at the gates of Kilinochchi.

"The civilians joined the cadres in their struggle during Unceasing Waves-1. The People's Force faced the Jayasikuru Operation and the Sinhala forces in Thenmaratchi, Oddisuddan, Kilinochchi and Mankulam and created history.

"It was the People's Force that defeated the military during Operation Unceasing Waves 3. This was a historical defeat for the military. The People's Force does have a history. The Sri Lankan military has been weakened. This is very evident due to the fact that they are now recruiting manpower," he said at a meeting in Kilinochchi last week.

He said that this was not the first occasion the Tigers had faced the government military with their backs to the wall.

Trap says Nadesan

"When the civilians fled the Jaffna peninsula, everyone thought that the LTTE was weakened. But we showed to the world that the people were with us when we regained Mullaithivu.

"The military has stepped into our trap, as stated by one of the Sinhala politicians.

"Weapons, the enemy's artillery and the airplanes are not new to our people. The people have learnt to handle weapons. Now they have to come together to make Wanni the graveyard for the Sinhala forces and liberate our people," he added.

There are at least 145,000 IDPs in the Wanni, now and a conservative estimate is that there are at least 250,000 civilians including the IDPs. The Nadesan comments coming in the wake of military training imparted to civilians and call to arms aimed at former cadres does not bode well for the civilians.

There have accusations that the Tigers were planning to hold the civilian population as a human shield. The training for ordinary civilians really blurs the line between non-combatant and combatant, and puts pressure on any screening mechanism that the government would have to employ for civilians who flee the Wanni.