User:Ruwa1965

''' == ==== = Prabakaran and LTTE: Game ove

r == ' by RUWAN WEERAKOON Prabakaran and LTTE: Game over LTTE leader Prabhakaran’s body was recovered by the Sri Lanka Army yesterday morning. He was in Tiger uniform and had been killed by a sniper bullet to his forehead. The 4 Vijayaba Regiment(VIR) troops led by Lt. Col. Rohitha Aluvihare under 53 Division commanded by Maj. Gen. Kamal Goonaratne, found the body of the terrorist leader lying on the bank of the Nanthikadal lagoon. The sniper was waiting from 6:00 a.m. to take his target.

Around 7:00 a.m., Special Force (SF) sniper spotted through his telescope, a short heavily guarded Tiger leader in uniform, took careful aim and pulled the trigger. He saw very clearly the target being felled and, at the same time, he saw the rest of the LTTE cadres pull the body away. The sniper, meanwhile, gunned down the rest of the LTTE cadres as well. A frantic message originated from a high frequency radio belonging to LTTE leader Prabhakaran, to Tiger intelligence leader Pottu Amman, saying, “Our leader has been shot.” At the other end, Pottu Amman asked, “How is his condition?” “He is no more with us,” said the desperate voice of the operator. There was no reply from Pottu Amman. This radio message was intercepted by Military intelligence on Monday (18) around 7:40 a.m. The body of the world’s most ruthless terrorist leader was identified yesterday. Although reports circulated that the body was not found, it has been confirmed that Prabhakaran is dead. This was also confirmed by a close bodyguard of Prabhakaran, who was captured by the SF. He had said that his leader (Prabhakaran) had died. This hardcore LTTE cadre has been handed over to Military Intelligence for further questioning.

The Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) had immediately asked his intelligence agents to get a positive confirmation on 18th morning. The DMI got confirmation after a few clarifications and its Director telephoned the Army Commander to inform him that LTTE leader Prabhakaran was dead. Around 9:00 a.m., the Army Commander informed the Defence Secretary and the Commander-in-Chief, the President, that Prabhakaran was indeed dead. Battle well planned As mentioned in this column last week, 58 Division under Brig. Shavendra Silva advanced north to south, and during the last stages of the battle, they were supported by the SF under Col. Athula Kodippili. The 11 SLLI linked with the 59 Division close to the beachfront, thus cutting off the sea escape route for the LTTE. The 9 GW under Lt. Col. Lal Chandrasiri advanced towards the LTTE stronghold, which was, by now, limited only to 400 x 500 metres on Sunday (17), and consolidated their positions. On Sunday (17) night, at around 10:00 p.m., the SF came under heavy attack by a group of LTTE cadres, along with several suicide cadres. The SF troopers opened fire at the group of Tigers while they were at a distance. This attack killed LTTE political head B. Nadesan, a ‘military commander’ Ramesh and LTTE Peace Secretariat head Puleethevan. These attackers had disguised as civilians and crossed the Nanthikadal lagoon to mount an attack on 53 Division and open up an escape route for their leaders. However, Army Intelligence had received prior information about the attempt by the LTTE to infiltrate from across the Nanthikadal lagoon, where 53 Division was located. The Army Chief had given instructions on Sunday (17) to the Commando  Brigade  Commander  Ralph  Nugera  to  deploy  Commandos  at Karaiyamulliwaikkal.

On Monday (18) early morning around 2:30 a.m., the remaining LTTE leaders and cadres mounted a massive assault with heavy firepower across the A35 road, and managed to breach the 53 Division defense line and advance through the lagoon. Meanwhile, the SF and the Commandos who were expecting the terrorists, attacked them with MPMGs (Multi Purpose Machine Gun). This counterassault took the LTTE by surprise. Commando Brigade Commander Col. Ralph Nugera had instructed his men to search among the mangroves in the Natnhikadal lagoon, for any hidden terrorists. The commandoes attacked them and were able to recover more than 40 bodies, including leaders, by around mid afternoon. While troops advanced into the ‘No Fire’ Zone (NFZ), the Army Chief ordered the SF and the Commandos to be held as a reserve force. He knew that at any time the rest of the LTTE leaders would attempt to breach a defence line. And they killed over 100 LTTE cadres and leaders While conducting search and clear operations in the general area of Vellamullaiwaikkal, in the evening of Monday (18), troops of 53 and 58 Divisions recovered over 350 bodies of LTTE cadres killed during the battle. Infantrymen of 53 Division have recovered 181 bodies, along with a large quantity of weapons and ammunition, Military sources said. Over Rs 10 million in cash was also found in the possession of a killed LTTE leader, Military sources added. Troops sandwich Prabakaran, cadres The SF lost many troops including one SF Commanding Officer Col Lafir. His body was recovered by an SF team that landed in helicopters despite heavy fire. That team was led by Prasanna de Silva, whose brilliant leadership helped the 59 Brigade to break the stalemate in the NFZ and sandwiched Prabhakaran. Troops of 59 Division advanced from the south of the newly demarcated NFZ along the coastline, into the areas south of Vellamullivaikkal. The 59-3 Brigade under Lt. Col. Sujeeva Yapa with three Battalions under his command, 11 GR led by Maj. W.M.D.S. Gunawardane, 4 Sinha Regiment (SR) led by Maj. I.K. Lokukatagoda, 16 SLLI led by Maj. B.J. Lekamge, on Monday night surmounted the earth bund and crossed into the newly demarcated NFZ across the Nanthikadal lagoon and rescued 50,000 civilians held hostage by the LTTE, on Sunday (17). The initial forward thrust was followed by the induction of the SF, resulting in a rapid wipeout of the remaining terrorist resistance in the area. 59 Division troops have brought around 500ms of the earth bund under their control. While troops were breaching the bund, the LTTE had deployed five suicide cadres in its attempt to resist the troop’s advance. The 59 Division troops had reached the Vellamullivaikkal area in Sarwarthottam when the LTTE launched five attacks deploying suicide cadres. As mentioned earlier, 58 and 57 Division advanced into the NFZ from north to south, and when the 59 Division too advanced from south to north, the remaining LTTE cadres were sandwiched in the area. To avoid being thus sandwiched, the LTTE attempted to breach 53 Division defence line, to try and escape through the Nanthikadal lagoon. But their attempt was foiled by the Special Forces Commander Col. Athula Kodippilai and Col. R. Nugera who wiped out the LTTE Terrorist leadership and the rest of the terrorists.