Kilinochchi within artillery range; State Intelligence apparatus says Prabhakaran gravely ill-The Nation- 2008/08/24

By Ranga Jayasuriya

The 57 Division of the Sri Lanka Army on Friday captured the strategically important northern town of Thunukkai which is the entrance to Mallavi, the once administrative capital of the LTTE.
The capture of Thunukkai and subsequent capture of Akkarayankulam tank south west of Kilinochchi signals that bitter battles are about to take place in the periphery of Kilinochchi, the de-facto capital of Tamil Eelam.
On Friday troops captured Akkarayankulm and were positioned 12 kilometres south west of Kilinochchi. With their latest advance, troops have brought the nerve center of the LTTE, including the Iranamadu air strip, within the range of the range of its130 mm artillery guns. The guns have an effective range of 27 kilometres.

Tiger boss

These developments take place as the government’s intelligence apparatus reported to the National Security Council last week that Tiger chief Velupillai Prabhakaran was gravely ill.
The State Intelligence Service (SIS) submitted several close up photographs of Velupillai Prabhakaran, whose diabetic condition has reported to be growing worse. Pictures show his face swollen and hands sore due to the complications of diabetes. The SIS also briefed the National Security Council that Prabhakaran was also suffering from depression. However, none of these claims can be independently verified.
On Friday, troops of the 572 Brigade captured Thunukkai, a week after troops of the division encircled the Tiger stronghold. Some units of this Brigade advanced further northwards, dodging an attack on the besieged city and laid siege on the town from the rear.
Early Friday troops of the seven and eight Ceylon Light Infantry Regiments advanced to Thunukkai via three directions. They were by the Thunukkai-Vellankulam Road, the Kalvilan-Thunukkai Road and a jungle track from the northern direction of Thunukkai. Another unit approached Thunukkai from Oddankulam.
Reports revealed that the Tigers were building strong defences in the town, including a sand bund built to delay the advance. An estimated 600 cadres of the LTTE’s elite Charles Anthony and Imran Pandyan brigades had been deployed in Thunukkai.
The Tiger cadres are being commanded by Banu and Ivan during their battle to defend Thunukkai. Military officials quoting intercepted Tiger communications said that they heard Theepan, the former northern commander of the LTTE ordering the LTTE to withdraw logistical units and medical units from Thunukkai.

Thunukkai

Theepan was assigned to defend the LTTE in the Wanni front after the rout of a unit of Charles Anthony cadres in Vanniyakulam.
As battle raged for Thunukkai, attack helicopters of the Sri Lanka Air Force provided close air support to the advancing troops.
By Friday noon, troops consolidated control of Thunukkai.
Later in the day, Uiyankulam, located five kilometres from Thunukkai fell to the security forces.
On the same day, 517 Brigade advanced to Akkarayankulam, which is located 12 kilometres from Kilinochchi. Seven soldiers were wounded in separate confrontations with LTTE in the general area of Mallavi, east of Thunukkai, the Media Centre for National Security reported.
Meanwhile, the 58 Division which operates as the left flank of the Wanni front, advanced parallel to the north western coast on the A32 Mannar Pooneryn Sandupiddy road and fought pitched battles with Tiger cadres at the southern perimeters of Nachchikudah sea Tiger base. So far troops of this Division have gained control over a 55 kilometre stretch of the 82 km long A32 road.
MI 24 attack helicopters provided close air support (CAS) as troops tried to break a fortified bunker line located south of Nachchikudah, located 10 kilometre north of Vellankulam.
On the same front, troops of Six Gemunu Watch and Army commandos raided a fortified defence line in Vannerikulam. Twelve LTTE cadres were killed and 15 wounded, the army said. These figures could not be independently verified.
Meanwhile, the 59 Division operating in the Mullaitivu front, captured a sprawling training camp known as Jeevan base, located 10 kilometres north west of Kokuthuduwai. “The camp has 100 underground bunkers, 4 buildings, 25 lavatories and two concrete bunkers,” the Army website reported.
Heavy rain lashed as troops combed the Anandakulam jungles. Four soldiers were killed in a lightining strike on their tractor.
Following the capture of the Jeevan Base, troops of this division are consolidating control in Ulathuweli.
The 592 Brigade attached to this division are inching towards Thannimuruppukulam tank. Another Brigade of this Division, the 593 Brigade, is consolidating the hold in strategically important Kumulamunai.

Casualties

Meanwhile, among other developments, two soldiers were killed and another was wounded in Nagarkovil, Jaffna due to LTTE mortar fire on Friday (22).
In another incident, MCNS reported that five LTTE cadres were killed and twenty were reported injured in heavy fighting in Anandakulam, Weli Oya. Two soldiers were reported wounded in the clash, it added.
In yet another incident, four LTTE cadres were killed when soldiers of the 56 Division launched an attack on an LTTE bunker in Vendamkulam yesterday morning. Meanwhile, the commander of the Army.
Lt General Sarath Fonseka visited the Security Forces Headquarters in the Wanni on Friday following the capture of Tunukkai and Akkarayankulam.
“Lieutenant General Fonseka was highly impressed by the invaluable ground achievements, gained by his troops in the Wanni theatre of humanitarian operations and commended General Officer Commanders in Divisions and all soldiers on their selfless commitment and contribution to the nation at this critical juncture of history.
I am very happy with the progress so far made in all Wanni fronts. We are now close to Kilinochchi. Though our future targets would be more challenging, I am sure we would be able to face them. Try to maintain the highest degree of morale among soldiers by speaking to all of them. Let us reach our targets with determination in the near future,” the Army website reported.
A critical juncture indeed. Yet, the mini polls in the north central and Sabaragamuwa appear to be far more important to the ruling party. The deployment of the army to curtail violence means a diversion of a large amount of manpower from the battle front. Election observer reports on pre-poll violence suggest violence is largely a phenomenon directed against the opposition party candidates.
President Rajapaksa last week asked the voters to endorse his war effort. “If the government is destabilized by the results of these elections, the successes already gained at the war front will be at risk,” he said in a televised address to the nation.
This and many other remarks by the government’s leadership speak of the importance it has given to its war effort. In the context of the gloomy economic picture and deteriorating human rights record, recent military successes are surely music to the government’s ears.

Source