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As forces flex muscles in the Wanni
Govt. shoots down calls for fresh talks with the LTTEBy Shamindra Ferdinando
The UNP National List MP Dr.Jayalath Jayewardene was one of the few people [from the south] who first knew something about the government’s plans to resume operations on the western part of the Wanni last week.There has been no significant military operations in any part of the North-East and the Wanni since the linking up of Puliyankulam , Nedunkerni , Oddusuddan and Mankulam with each other bringing in approximately 135 square km under armed forces control in early December last year , and the subsequent attempt on the life of the deputy defence minister Anurudda Ratwatte in the first week of December last year.
Silence in the Wanni battle field fuelled speculation of secret negotiations between the government and the LTTE.Then last month’s visit to the Wanni by an Inter-religious group resulted in wide-spread speculation and rumours of secret talks until the government put en end to everything by launching a fresh operation , the first since the December advance from Nedunkerni to Oddusudan that did not face any resistance.
The December operation was to expand the area under control in the eastern part of the Wanni.The December operation has given the army Oddusuddan , a town just 15 miles west of Mullaithuvu on the Mullaithivu -Mankulam road.
Last week the armed forces moved westwards from their earlier held positions between Vavuniya - Mankulam and northwards from Vavuniya-Poovarasankulam to expand the area under their control west of the Vavuniya-Jaffna road.The operation appeared to have succeeded in bringing in well over 10,000 people under armed forces control.The military said that people had remained in the area despite LTTE threats to vacate their places of living.They were living in 24 villages comprising 17 gramasevaka divisions.
Jayewardene , visiting parts of Mannar-Vavuniya districts including uncleared parts early last week saw preparations that included changes in deployment as troops prepared to mount operation , Battle Cry to secure the area adjacent to the Vavuniya - Jaffna road upto Mankulam under armed forces control.
"The LTTE was aware of the impending advance," Dr.Jayewardene told The Island on Monday [8]. There were signs of heavy military activity , Jayewardene said pointing out that troops were on the move when he left the area last Thursday. Jayewardene quoted the LTTE as saying that the government was planning to launch a fresh operation to improve its chances at the forthcoming PC elelctions.
Asked whether he heard gunfire , he repleid in the negative. There were no explosions , air strikes or any other overt military activity but increased movements of vehicels within the cleared area revealed government plans.
The opening of a new front last week in the ongoing battle for supremacy in the Wanni came as the government decided to ignore fresh calls to enter into negotiations with the LTTE to end the ethnic conflict.The latest military action against the LTTE came amidst claims that the government was having secret talks with the LTTE.The National Movement Against Terrorism [NMAT] recently accused the government of conducting secret talks with the LTTE.
The operation involving thousands of troops was the first major action ordered after Lieutenant General Sri Lal Weerasooriya replaced Lieutenant General Rohan de S Daluwatte as the Commander of the Army.
Armed forces in a multi-pronged advance linked Vavuniya, Poovarasankulam , Iranai Illuppaikulam, Mundumrippu, Vannivilan-kulam and Mankulam with each other resulting in approximately 535 square km coming under their control.
The military said that approximately 670 square km was secured without a shot being fired in December[last year] and last week’s operation.But last year’s operation which brought in 135 square km in the eastern part of the Wanni under armed forces control almost ended in with the deputy defence minister Ratwatte and the service commanders coming under mortar attack at Oddusuddan.They escaped unhurt but four troops were killed and at least 30 wounded , some of them seriously when four mortar rounds hit Oddusuddan during Ratwatte’s visit there.
However this time despite the aremd forces securing an area almost four times bigger than the last year’s December operation to link up Puliyankulam , Nedunkerni , Oddusuddan and Mankulam , the military has decided against any adventures.
Armed forces now have a wide front to mount operations against enemy positions both in the eastern and western part of the Wanni.The new northern most defence line approximately 25 kms long is in operation from Oddusuddan [on the eastern flank] to Vannivilankulam [on the western flank].The new defence line on the western side ,parallel to the Vavuniya-Mankulam road extends to Vannivilankulam from Poovarasankulam.
Troops also hold positions approximately three kms north of Mankulam.
The LTTE will be compelled to deploy strong groups both east and west of the roads , northwards of the northern most defence line to face any attempt by the armed forces to break out of their positions.And at the same time the LTTE will have to watch for any armed forces build-up along the Poovarasankulam-Vannivilankulam line that can threaten their positions westwards.The latest gains have considerably strengthened security between Poovarasankulam and Mannar island.The 48 mile long Vavuniya-Mannar road goes via Poovarasankulam and Murunkan.
The LTTE’ers were not the only losers when the armed forces gained further enemy held territory in the Wanni , the scene of bloodiest fighting in the eelam conflict.The Inter-religious group that called for fresh neghotiations after the recent talks with the LTTE in the Wanni appeared to have taken completely by surprise.The group which met head of the LTTE’s political section , Thamilchelvam and a senior military commander , Karikalan declared that the LTTE was ready for fresh talks. Senior spokesmen for the Inter-religious group said that they were in the process of making representations to the government with regard to the need to enter into fresh negotiations with the LTTE to end the war.
However , the launch of fresh operations in the western part and also stepped up military activity in other parts of the country were indications that the government has no intention of talking to the LTTE at least at the moment.
The timing of the latest operation underlines the deputy defence minister Ratwatte’s hold on the armed forces. The Island in a lead story appearing on January 1 this year stated that Ratwatte will remain in control of the armed forces despite the ceration of an unified combined armed forces command to co-ordinate the battle against the LTTE.
Highly placed military officials said that despite combined armed forces operation , Jayasikurui being called off after some heavy setbacks , their strategy in the Wanni region remain the same. "We are trying to bring in more Wanni territory and people under government control," a senior officer said pointing out that the armed forces have no alternative but to deny more territory in the Wanni to the LTTE.
Army gains important ground, but gets bogged down once again
By Our Defence Correspondent
The Sri Lanka Army achieved an impressive gain on the battlefield last weekend, with the capture of a broad swath of land area in the Wanni, significantly reducing the territory held by the LTTE.But in its usual snail-like fashion, the army ground to a halt after advancing for two days, and began what it likes to call "consolidating" in the area.
The offensive started on Saturday, March 4, with troops advancing on a broad front on the western side of the Jaffna-Kandy highway, which the army likes to call its "Main Supply Route" to Jaffna.
With soldiers advancing on a 50-kilometer wide front, stretching from Mankulam in the north to Puvarasankulam on the Medawachchiya-Mannar road, the LTTE chose to withdraw, rather than try to defend an area it had not been prepared to fight for. The army's line of domination now stretches through Wannivilankulam, Mundumurippu, Irahai, and Illuppaikulam.
For, the army managed to achieve a considerable degree of surprise, launching the operation in an unexpected area.
Strategically, the widening of the Vavuniya-Mankulam corridor earned the army a significant gain. Ground troops are now much closer to a number of the LTTE's main centres of power, including the Madhu area, where the shrine is now a vast refugee camp, and the Mallavi-Tentukki area, where most of the LTTE's main administrative offices are located.
The area captured totals about 540 square kilometres, being basically 50 kilometres long and 10 kilometres wide. It contains 24 villages and small towns, and includes 17 government agent divisions.
Due to the element of surprise and lack of opposition, no soldiers were killed in the operation, although four LTTE cadres were killed. However, one soldier died due to "friendly fire," when he was hit by his own comrades by mistake.
For the LTTE, the hold that it has on the western side of the Wanni now looks far less secure. With the eastern side already under threat, with troops at Oddusudan only 15 kilometres from Mullaitivu, the Tigers are likely to look for a change in their strategy of bogging the army down in the Jungle.
Unfortunately, after only two days of advancing, the army came to a halt once more, its short-term objective achieved.
For the new army chief, Lieutenant General Srilal Weerasooriya, it was the first significant operation since he took office last December, and marked a quiet assertion that he is in command.
This is important since many in the three armed forces are still confused over the role that the new Joint Operations Bureau (JOB) is to play. Quite simply, the JOB has contributed virtually nothing so far to the war effort, despite it being headed by former army commander General Rohan Daluwatte, since it was created in early January.
The JOB chief has so far actually spent little time in planning any offensive action. He and his staff spent most of January getting used to their new offices, staff and jobs. Then, Daluwatte and two of his most senior officers, including his Director of Operations, went off on an around the world trip which took them through Paris, London, Los Angeles and Tokyo, to learn how command co-ordination is done in those very peaceful countries.
They returned only two weeks ago.
In their absence, Lt. Gen. Weerasooriya was quietly appointed acting commander of the JOB. By this appointment, by which Daluwatte, the most junior of the three service chiefs, was placed above the other two service chiefs, President Chandrika Kumaratunga clearly showed that it is the army which must ultimately defeat the LTTE.
But to his credit, Weerasooriya did not try to abuse his position, and gave orders to the air force and navy, instead of choosing to quietly plan operation Rana Gosa.
Weerasooriya is very familiar with the Wanni region, having spent more than a year as Commander of all forces in the Wanni, by which he headed Operation Jaya Sikuru.
It is hoped that Weerasooriya will impress upon his battlefield generals the need to push forward quickly, instead of waiting for months again.
The fact is that the last operation of any significance was at the end of November, more than three months ago, when troops captured the Oddusudan area.
Since then, the army had done little up to last week.
There is no real reason for the army to stop now, except for the problem of taking care of refugees. After all, there were no casualties in the operation, and there is no need to stock up on ammunition since there was little firing involved.
The main reason for the army to pause was the large number of civilians who had to be taken care of in the newly captured areas The area is believed to have had 18,500 residents, of whom about 14,500 remained, the rest having chosen to flee before the troops arrived.
Sadly, the problem of having to take care of civilians has been one of the army's biggest problems in the last few years. Each time the troops advance, front-line troops have to stop to take care of civilians, many of them children, old people and women, most of whom have been living as refugees for many years now.
The government does have several departments to look after refugees, such as the Ministry of Reconstruction and Rehabilitation, the government agents, and can also count on the aid of relief organizations such as the ICRC, the Sri Lanka Red Cross, Medecines Sans Frontiers, and Save the Children. But these operate some distance behind the line of fighting. Simply put, there is no organization other than the army which takes care of civilians on the front-line itself.
It is high time that the government got together a team of young professionals and trained them on how to move into newly captured areas quickly and take care of civilians there. This would include setting up administration, providing food and medicine, liaising with relief NGO's, and compiling documentation on who is who among the civilians.
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