MULLAITTIVU: THE TRIUMPHANT end of the military onslaught that bagged the whole of PUTHUKKUDIYIRUPPU LTTE stronghold sans the remaining No Fire Zone (NFZ) strip, to which the LTTE has now crept in with heavy weapons was meticulously planned and effectively executed under the direct and able command of Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka, Commander of the Army.
Troops of the Sri Lanka Army reaching almost the end of the month long humanitarian operation in VANNI finally closed in on PUTHUKKUDIYIRUPPU, the northeastern most coconut and jungle-infested area in MULLAITTIVU district, where no soldier had even dared to tread in. Sunday (5) morning’s completion of most of head-on collisions with terrorists and capture of the entire PUTHUKKUDIYIRUPPU area, other than the NFZ strip marked the closure of a chapter for War for Peace.
Tigers who have been fighting a futile war for the utopian “Eelam”, wanted only by a handful of Diaspora Tamils at the expense of their own civilians were reduced to the plight of a band of ruthless terrorists as the violence used by them intensified day by day.
As the innocent lives of political, religious and community leaders, ordinary civilians and even small children, turned exposed to LTTE threats the government finally requested them to move into the No Fire Zone in PUTHUMATTALAN, as the military thrust was on the increase.
Troops of the 53, 55 and 58 Divisions and Task Force VIII finally encircled the PUTHUMATTALAN “No Fire Zone” after reaching from the north, west and southern directions. With surviving LTTE leaders, including VELUPILLAI PRABHAKARAN are now cornered to the walls of the remaining areas in the NFZ, bordered to the Indian ocean from the east and NANTHIKADAL lagoon from the western side. It restricted all narrow accesses from the north, west and also the south. All military offensives were coordinated under the supervision of Major General Jagath Jayasuriya, Commander, Security Forces Vanni.
The 53 Division commenced its operations to liberate NAGARKOVIL in JAFFNA and successfully completed its mission on under the able command of Major General (then Brigadier) KAMAL GUNARATNE before they were inducted to the south of VISUAMADU. The movement of the 53 Division, turned towards PUTHUKUDIYIRIPPU to assist the 58 Division which joined the VANNI operation as the Task Force-I with Brigadier SHAVENDRA SILVA as its commander. By the time, 53 Division troops deployed more troops in the south of A-35 PARANTHAN-MULLAITTIVU road while the 58 Division was leading its troops from the PARANTHAN junction along the A-35 main road, crushing all LTTE strongholds on either side of the road.
Meanwhile, Task Force – VIII subsequently deployed in gave to give flank support to the troops, engaged in the operations to liberate PUTHUKKUDIYIRUPPU. The LTTE based its all resources, both men and materials in this strategically vital area, which was considered their bastion of power in their search for liberation through violence.
Troops of the 58 Division in the meantime entered the west of PUTHUKKUDIYIRUPPU on 27th February and captured the PUTHUKKUDIYIRUPPU junction on 3rd March confining terrorists only to a limited landscape of a few square kilometers. Heavy confrontations that have been raging in the east and north of PUTHUKKUDIYIRUPPU since then offered a string of setbacks and humiliating blows on the terrorists. Those professional attacks deprived them of more and more leaders and infrastructure used for terrorist activities and the 58 Division troops finally captured ANANTHAPURAM after the 53 and 55 Divisions sealed off that area, the previous day before the intrusion.
However, terrorists were compelled to abandon their air conditioned mansions, makeshift camps, weapon-producing factories and all communication bases, luxurious vehicles and mounds of their sophisticated arms and ammunition and creep into the “No Fire Zone” which has been in use since then as an oasis to launch artillery fire on advancing troops outside perimeters of the “No Fire Zone”.
