User:Nishadhi/Second Battle of Elephant Pass

Article Plan

 * Lead
 * Background
 * Opposing forces and Elephant Pass defenses
 * Sri Lankan army
 * LTTE
 * Elephant Pass military complex
 * Early encounters
 * 11th - 12th December 1999
 * Fall of Paranthan
 * Thanankilappu front
 * Attacks on the new year eve


 * Aftermath
 * Legacy

Sri lankan Army

 * 54th Division (Maj Gen K B Egodawele)
 * 541 Brigade (Col Bathiya Jayathilake)
 * 4th Battalion, Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment (Lt Col A P D Z Wickramaratne)
 * 10th(v) Battalion, Gemunu Watch (Maj G G S Kumara)
 * 11th(v) Battalion, Gajaba Regiment (Maj G W Nugegoda)
 * 542 Brigade (Col Leonard Mark)
 * 7th Battalion, Gemunu Watch (Maj M D S N K Mallikarachchi)
 * 9th Battalion, Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment (Lt Col Mahindaratne)
 * 2nd(v) Battalion, Gemunu Watch (Maj L Wijendra)
 * 543 Brigade - Reserve Brigade (Col Susil Udumalagala)
 * 7th Battalion, Gemunu Watch (Maj T S Bansajayah)
 * 1st Battalion, Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment (Maj S Weerasooriya)
 * 7th Field Engineer Regiment, Sri Lanka Engineers (Lt Col H A N Hapuarachchi)
 * 544 Brigade (Col Neil Akmeemana)
 * 9th(V) Battalion, Sri Lanka Light Infantry (Lt Col W D L P Wickramasinghe)
 * 7th Battalion, Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment (Maj W S Ariyasinghe)
 * 545 Brigade (Col L A D Amaratunga)
 * 7th Battalion, Sri Lanka Light Infantry (Maj W D Weerakkody)
 * 10th Battalion, Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment (Maj R W W A D B Rajaguru/ Maj J J Mohotti)
 * 546 Brigade (Col Lalith Daulugala)
 * 6th Battalion, Gemunu Watch (Maj A A Kodippili)
 * 8th Battalion, Gajaba Regiment (Maj E M S W Ekanayake)
 * 4th Battalion, Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment (Maj S J N Ritigahapola)
 * Elements of 1st and 2nd Commando Regiments (Col Nalin Fernando)

11th - 12th December 1999
On 11th December 1999 at 2.20 am LTTE mounted their first assault. Under the cover of mortar and artillery fire, two groups of Tamil Tigers, each estimated to have around 75, attacked the defenses between coastal village of Kadaikadu and Kovil junction. One group attacked three bunkers while the other attacked two more. Soon they managed to infiltrate the defense line and a gun battle broke out with the defending troops of the 2nd battalion of Gemunu Watch. While the land battle is in progress three Sea Tiger boats loaded with Tiger cadres headed towards the beach. Defending troops retaliated with the assistance of mortars and artillery, sinking one and forcing the others to withdraw towards the Sea Tiger base at Chalai. Meanwhile, as the battle for the eastern Elephant pass defenses was in progress another flotilla of Sea Tiger boats engaged the troops defending the Paranthan sector resulting in a intense fire fight.

At 5.30 am, at least 6 Sea Tiger boats attacked the Eastern defenses again, attempting a beach landing while another group of Tigers attempted to land in a Vallam. Defending troops successfully repulsed the attacks with the help of Navy Fast Attack Crafts (FAC) and Mi 24 helicopter gunships which were already on alert, after the first wave. Kfir interceptors engaged the Tiger cadres on the Vallam. However a technical failure forced them to return to base. Although its not clear whether the aerial attacks scored a direct hit, Tigers reportedly aborted the landing. Meanwhile defending troops successfully sealed off the breached line, trapping some of the Tiger cadres with in. Commando units were sent to neutralize them.

On the same day at around 2.00 pm, LTTE attacked the southern defenses of the elephant pass military complex, in the the Paranthan area. It began with a heavy bombardment and brunt of the attack fell on the 8th battalion of the Gajaba regiment (8GR) which was positioned to the south of the Paranthan junction. At the beginning of the bombardment, both Major Sahampathi Ekanayake, commanding Officer of 8GR, and his superior Brigadier Percy Fernando were present at the Paranthan junction. Although sporadic attacks were not uncommon at Paranthan, seeing a LTTE armored vehicle involved in the offensive concerned them. LTTE concentrated almost all their fire power at the Paranthan defense line. Despite the mounting casualties front line troops resisted with the help of support fire from the brigade headquarters located near the Paranthan chemical factory.

While the fighting was continuing at the southern defense line, in the night on 11th, LTTE attacked the eastern defenses. While a group of cadres attacked from south over the land another group of LTTE cadres, who were transported from Mullathivu using boats, made an amphibious assault at Vettrilaikerni and Kadaikadu defenses. By 12th, the army units withdrew and LTTE cadres captured the two camps. By the end of the day they managed to secure a beachhead of 3km wide, extending inland for varying distances up to Pullaveli and Marathankerni areas. They infiltrated and occupied the scrub jungle extending between from the coast to the 54 Divisional headquarters, which was located at elephant pass. Commando units were sent to the jungle to engage these LTTE units.

Fall of Paranthan
The LTTE attack, which began on 11th, continued on the Parathan front except for brief interludes in the night between 1.00 am to 3.00 am. By the evening of 12th the 8th battalion of the Gajaba regiment alone has suffered more than 150 casualties, but held on. Meanwhile, Advancing LTTE units, using captured army radio sets, began to jam the radio communications. Front line troops had to keep on switching between the frequencies to maintain the contact with the battalion headquarters. The divisional commander Major Gen K B Egodawela was unreachable and the combat instructions were provided by the deputy commander Colonel Percy Fernando who managed to establish a link to the battalion HQ.

After two days of continuous fighting, 8th battalion of the Gajaba regiment had suffered large number of casualties. Even the civilian employees like orderlies were manning the bunkers in support of the defense. Since induction of reinforcements to the front line was impossible, preparations were made to withdraw to the second line covering the Paranthan junction. The battalion headquarters was abandoned and under the cover of darkness, troops withdrew along the Paranthan road to the second line. By this time 8 the battalion's strength was down from 500 men to 200 - 300 men and soon they were relieved by the 3rd Sri Lanka light infantry battalion (3SLLI) under Major Ralph Nugera, who took over the defense. 8GR was re positioned at brigade headquarters around the Paranthan chemical factory.

On 16th, LTTE launched an offensive targeting the Paranthan junction. By this time troops had been fighting with out food for two to three days. All the stocks had been depleted and fresh supplies were not reaching the front line. During the night LTTE cadres infiltrated the front line spreading confusion. These infiltrating units wore army uniforms and spoke in Sinhala. On 17th, troops withdrew from the Paranthan junction and the adjacent area to further north. By 21st 546 brigade abandoned its headquarters at the Paranthan Chemical factory and formed a new defensive line covering the southern approaches to the Elephant pass.

Thanankilappu front
to write- Infiltration. artillery attacks, missile attacks on MI 24