Tigers planning major attacks under
Theeban - Def. Ministry Indian
relief arriving this week

Indian relief  arriving this week

By Amantha Perera

It was 15 years ago that government forces were last in control of Pooneryn. In the early morning hours of November 11, 1993, Tigers launched Operation Leap Frog (Thavalai) that resulted in the sprawling Pooneryn defence complex being dismantled.

Pooneryn's strategic value is that it serves the southern off-loading point to boats that cross Killali lagoon. On the military line, the northern most point of the Pooneryn area, known as Kalmunai point is less than 10 km south of Jaffna town proper though separated by the shallow Killali waters and allows the artillery placed on it to strike targets as far as Palaly.

It was on November 3 that Army Commander Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka made it public that the army was expediting clearing the A32 Mannar-Pooneryn highway and use it as a possible main supply route.

Gained the most

The job of clearing the road has been entrusted to Task Force One (TF1), that has been moving on a course parallel to the A32. Of the seven offensive divisions that have been deployed in the Wanni TF1 has gained the most in terms of land cleared. It now controls over 70 km of the 90 km road.

Last week, the army said that troops were in control of Devil's Point, the narrow stretch of land southwest of Pooneryn that juts out into the Mannar sea. The army said that the Tigers had used the Vallaipadu fishing jetty to  mount attacks on naval vessels as well as off-load cargo.

A clash that took place in the seas south of Delft on December 26, 2007 shows how vital the northwestern coast is for the Tigers. That morning around 7.30 the navy discovered a flotilla of between 14 to 16 Tiger boats moving south towards Nachchikuda and Devil's Point. The boats included several suicide crafts that were giving cover to trawlers. In the ensuing battle a locally manufactured Dvora P-413 was lost. The Tiger boats that escaped during the attack moved towards Devil's Point and south of it. There have been other occasions when the same coastal stretch has been used to launch amphibious attacks on naval stations in the Delft Island.

The army termed the gaining of Devil's Point as significant - "The fall of Devil's Point makes the land stretch along the A32 road now free of terrorists enabling the troops to march further up towards the LTTE stronghold, Pooneryn," it said.

TF1 may not launch a frontal attack on Pooneryn, at least not any time soon. There were indications that it would try to starve out supplies and alsoflank Pooneryn, a tactic that was last seen when Nachchikuda was taken.

The plan appeared to be to take Nallur, a village on the Pooneryn-Paranthan (B69) road and then cut off Pooneryn. If troops dominate the southern flanks of Pooneryn, then naval units, especially those from the Rapid Action Boat Squadron can navigate the shallow waters of Killali and establish a northern beach front ahead of Pooneryn.

"Once Task Force 1 cuts off the B69 at Nallur and push its western flank further towards Devil's Point, the remaining terrorists in the Pooneryn, Alenken, Vallaipadu and Veravi (villages south of Pooneryn) have no other option than to surrender or to the meet elite Rapid Action Boat Squadron (RABS) of the navy at sea. No land escape routes are available for the terrorists in these areas with the army's advance," the Defence Ministry said last week.

Heavy clashes

When TF1 was raised, its final objective was Pooneryn, but before it can reach the vital town, it has to cross swamp land between Pooneryn and Chempankundu.

Last week heavy clashes were reported in the Chempankundu area. "Intense fighting was reported between forward domination battalions of Task Force 1 and the LTTE, north of Chempankundu today. According to the military, identified LTTE locations were pounded with continuous artillery and mortar attacks followed by a swift military incursion," the Defence Ministry said on November 11.

Reportedly a Tiger senior by the name of Stanley has been stationed in the Chempankundu area. Stanley is from the east and has cadres from the Jayanthan Unit under him, most of whom are also from the east. Other reports indicated that the Tigers may have already removed the 130 mm artillery guns placed in Kalmunai Point away from Pooneryn and may be even south and east of Paranthan as well.

The Defence Ministry said that Theeban, who for a while was leading Tiger units in the Muhamalai area from a base north of Paranthan was training a group of cadres in the Wanni to mount attacks on the army.

"Bhanu, Theepan and Luxman had abandoned their positions on the main battlefronts and fled into the rear areas. Reports have further revealed that a large umber of LTTE cadres under the leadership of Theepan are currently undergoing training for a counter attack in the LTTE hiding areas in Mulaithivu."

Significant

November has always been a significant month with the Tiger 'Heroes' commemoration that culminates with Velupillai Pirapaharan's 'Heroes' Day' speech. The last time he delivered the speech, the Tigers still held areas between Mannar and Omanthai, Vavuniya. However earlier in the same month, last year,  his trusted lieutenant Suppiah Parami Tamilselvan was killed in an air raid.

The Voice of Tigers was targeted just before the speech was to be aired on November 27. And   Pirapaharan himself was reportedly slightly injured in an air raid in November, though the extent of injuries have not been established and were clearly not serious as to sideline the Tiger supremo.

In 11 days, at 6.00 pm, the Tiger leader will deliver his speech. Unlike on past occasions, since 2007 he has taken precautions to read out the statement in front of a select group of cadres at an undisclosed location in the Wanni.

The army last week said that it had captured a female Tiger during the battles in Palavi, in the Devil's Point area on November 11, who was an English teacher named Neelaveli, who had been forcibly conscripted on January 24 this year. A video of her talking to field commanders was later released and she said that she joined the Saiver unit of the Tigers to prevent her younger brother and sister being conscripted.

In faulting English, the former graduate of Jaffna Kopay College of Education said that 100 more teachers like her were conscripted by the Tigers and were nevertheless drawing government salaries. She also said local NGO staff, clerks and employees of the Agricultural Department too had been conscripted into Tiger ranks.

Recent reports, especially the recent Special Report by the University Teachers for Human Rights, Jaffna. (UTHR-J) titled Pawns Of An Un-heroic War, also highlighted how civilians have been forced to fight within Tiger ranks. It gave details of new recruits committing suicide and of families being asked to give more than one member to the ranks.

Large number of casualties

The report said that there were a large number of casualties since September. It was on August 27 that the Tigers began putting up stiff resistance. Since October 2008, the Tigers have increased its recruitment drive - "By October 2008, the LTTE had once again become very aggressive in conscription. They visited families with lists provided by Village Headmen (GS officers). From a family with three or four children, they demanded two fighters; one for a family with two; and none for a family with one. The general attitude of the populace now is not to quarrel with the LTTE.

"They figure that many of those who objected to conscription had been placed on the frontline and are dead. But many of those who joined without resistance have been placed in safer areas and have survived. Since early September, sources from the Wanni say that the LTTE has conscripted 9000 'very young' persons who are now under training."

The report also said that civilians were unwilling to come to government held areas due to a variety of reasons, but that even if they wanted, the Tigers would not allow any such mass exodus. A recent report in a pro-Tiger website spoke of the Tigers having something between 40,000 to 60,000 civilians who can be armed and sent to battle government forces. The figure cannot be dismissed as mere propaganda given there are over 230,000 IDPs now stuck in the Wanni.

Five UN food convoys have reached the Wanni since October 3. The Army Commander has instructed his Wanni command to accommodate all weekly food and supply trucks in one convoy. The monsoon rains fortunately passed over without major flooding. However UN humanitarian reports said that there was the threat of water-borne diseases because of mass open defecation.

"Shelter and sanitation continue to be a priority for IDPs in the Wanni. Thousands of IDPs are without adequate shelter and open defecation is widespread due to the lack of toilet facilities. The RDHS of Kilinochchi has expressed concern at the likelihood of outbreaks of water-borne diseases unless conditions are improved particularly now with the resumption of seasonal monsoon rains," the Inter Agency Standing Committee said last week.

Pressing concern

Meanwhile the ICRC in its Monthly Bulletin said that the displaced in the Wanni were looking for a sense of permanency.

"Security and stability are a pressing concern for displaced people in the Wanni. Many of them have had to flee several times since hostilities escalated in July," Hicham Mandoudi, head of ICRC operations in the Wanni said. "What these displaced people want is a place where they can stabilise their lives. They're exhausted after moving from one place to another, each time leaving behind more of their belongings."

The ICRC is also expecting the first consignment of Indian relief aid this week. Relief items that include clothes, food and sanitary supplies will be distributed by the ICRC.