Tiger fighting force surrounded

Troops cut off vital supply route linking LTTE forward defences with no-fire zone

The war between the security forces and the LTTE entered its final phase on Wednesday as the army cut off all supply routes to a large number of LTTE cadres surrounded by the army in less than one square kilometer area outside the ‘no-fire zone.’

Troops of the eleven Light Infantry of the 58 Division captured the last junction named Pachchapulmudai manned by the Tigers that connected the very limited area held by the LTTE in Puthukkudiyiruppu East with the ‘no-fire zone’.

The Tigers, most of them female fighters, resisted in a major effort to hold the area throughout the last few days, but the soldiers succeeded in gaining full control of the junction by Wednesday evening after fierce fighting.

At the same time, other unit soldiers of the 58 Division and Task Force 8, which comes under the 53 Division, linked just south of the Pachchapulmudai junction in the evening of the same day completely isolating the LTTE cadres in Puthukkudiyiruppu east.LTTE radio transmissions confirmed that more than 200 LTTE cadres have been trapped in this area, which is less than one square kilometer in extent.

Earlier, the LTTE used this area to collect food, transport weapons and ammunition and also forcibly recruit youth from the ‘no-fire zone,’ but with this latest military success the LTTE cadres trapped in the Puthukkudiyiruppu area will be unable to face the military. Knowing this situation the military through their radio communications have urged the trapped LTTE cadres to surrender to the government forces as there is no escape route left.

However, in reply, the LTTE cadres had said that they would not surrender and will continue their fight to the end. The LTTE that earlier gave stiff resistance to the advancing troops, have now withdrawn from the area even leaving behind the bodies of cadres killed in the face of effective gunfire by troops.

During the subsequent search operations conducted in the area, troops recovered 19 bodies of LTTE cadres killed during the fighting along with arms and equipment left behind by the LTTE. Nineteen T-56 assault rifles, two base station communication sets, two I-Com radio sets and two Cougar hand held sets are among the items found during the search operation soon after the capture of the area.

On March 21 troops of the Task Force 8 captured the road linking Puthukkudiyiruppu east and the 'no-fire zone', which is the main road that linked the two areas. However, with the capture of this road, the Tigers have utilized a small by-road through the Pachchapulmudai junction and continued transporting supplies from the 'no fire zone'.

Task Force 8, the 58 and also the 53 Divisions launched a massive artillery and mortar attack almost carpeting the small area covered by coconut trees during the last two days.

Any further advance into the no-fire zone will be delayed as the military cannot use its heavy weapons to attack the Tigers, who are using their firepower by placing their heavy guns inside IDP settlements in the ‘no-fire zone.’

With the capture of Pachchapulmudai, the LTTE had reportedly increased the security around the ‘no-fire zone,’ in order to prevent any civilians from fleeing the area and also to contain the military advance.

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