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| Forces make strong bid
to stall advance More camps under fire as LTTE makes further gains |
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| Forces make strong bid
to stall advance More camps under fire as LTTE makes further gains |
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Forces make strong bid to stall advance
More camps under fire as LTTE makes further gains
by Shamindra FerdinandoThe LTTE after bringing in almost 140 square kms under its domination following the swift collapse of a significant part of the government frontlines in the eastern part of the Wanni region on Tuesday [2] has stepped up attacks on Ampakamam, Olumadu, Kanagarayankulam and Puliyankulam, military officials said yesterday.
Kanagarayankulam, a strategically situated town 15 kms off Vavuniya along the Vavuniya - Jaffna highway and government positions about seven kms east of Mankulam had come under a fierce bombardment. Ammunition dumps, vehicles and buildings had been destroyed in these attacks, defence sources said.
Troops, after repulsing a major LTTE thrust on Ampakamam on Wednesday had fallen back towards the Oddusuddan - Mankulam road. Latest reports indicated that at least parts of the general area Ampakamam and several more kms of the 20 km long Oddusuddan - Mankulam road had come under LTTE control. Of the 20 kms, LTTE seized, the first eight kms from Oddusuddan towards Mankulam was on the first day of the battle.
With the fall of additional positions, the total area lost to LTTE since Tuesday has further increased.
It is feared, the lost territory adjoining the main Vavuniya - Jaffna road could be used as a staging ground for widespread attacks on forces deployed along the road, they said.
They said that thousands of reinforcements have been sent to halt the LTTE advance now threatening the security of the entire Eastern Province and Welioya. Within 24 hours after the launch of the LTTE strike ‘unclear areas’, the army retreated to Ottiyamalai - Gajabapura abandoning all their positions along the Oddusuddan - Nedunkerni road. Thousands of troops who retreated had been re-deployed in an effort to halt the LTTE advance.
The army in a string of operations since March this year regained approximately 1320 square kms in the western part of the Wanni. These operations conducted in March, May and June saw, troops bringing Madhu also under their control. However, the area lost during this week’s battle had been captured in November last year, soon after the government called off the ill-fated Jayasikurui operation.
Military officials said that there was no change with regard to the situation in the western part of the Wanni. As the ongoing LTTE offensive appeared to have been aimed at rolling back army’s frontlines in the eastern part of the Wanni thus foiling any army thrust towards Mullaithivu, situated just 24 kms off Oddusuddan.
Senior officers admitted privately that the fall of Oddusuddan-Nedunkerni road had changed the security situation in the Wanni.
The government, within 24 hours lost almost all the territory it captured in November last year from the LTTE, when terrorists assaulted army and navy frontlines along the Oddusuddan-Mankulam [20 kms] and Oddusuddan-Nedunkerni [14 kms] roads, military officials said and broke through defences.
The LTTE attack had targeted about eight kms on the Oddusuddan-Mankulam road and another six kms along the Oddusudan-Nedunkerni road.
However, soon after LTTE broke through army and navy frontlines in and around Oddusuddan in the early hours of Tuesday, troops deployed southwards of Oddusuddan had retreated to Nedunkerni and further down of that town recaptured by army during operation Jayasikurui.
Military officials said after securing the Oddusuddan-Nedunkerni road, terrorists had stepped up pressure both on Puliyankulam and Kanagarayankulam, two key towns situated along the Vavuniya-Jaffna highway. "Both places are under heavy fire," a senior officer in Colombo said adding that the LTTE is trying to use unexpected territorial gains it made within such a short time to threaten the highway.
Operational headquarters on Wednesday night said that 59 soldiers and 63 terrorists were killed in the first two days of fighting. By yesterday afternoon the number of dead security forces personnel rose to 107 and 202 wounded. The headquarters also said that according to intercepted enemy transmissions, 115 Tigers had been killed during the same period.
However, these figures will continue to rise as major exchanges continued in several locations in the Wanni.
The attack on Oddusuddan was launched in the early hours of November 2, the day armed forces mounted operation Rivibala exactly a year ago to regain Oddusuddan abandoned in early 90s. "Oddusuddan was regained without a fight," a senior military official said adding the conclusion of the Rivibala operation saw approximately 134 square kms coming under government control. Rivibala operation resulted in the linking of Oddusuddan, Nedunkerni, Puliyankulam and Mankulam with one another.
On the Oddusuddan-Mankulam road towards Mankulam, the army had been holding the first two kms. The remaining 18 kms had been held by three naval infantry battalions. The attack, the military said was on positions situated along eight kms of the road beginning from Oddusuddan towards Mankulam. Naval sources said that their three battalions had been responsible for six kms of road each. Of the three, SLN Vijayaba battalion had been targeted on Tuesday and on Wednesday another naval infantry battalion, Gajaba had come under heavy bombardment. At one stage they had lost radio contact with forces outside the theatre.
Of some 875 officers and men of SLN Vijayaba battalion which was attacked on Tuesday, the majority had been accounted for. They had retreated to areas under security forces control. But about 100 navy personnel had been so far placed missing in action.
Two MI 24 helicopters were damaged by LTTE attacks during battles in the Oddusuddan area on Tuesday Airforce sources said.
The incident had happened when the airforce assisting the troops defending Oddusudan Forward Defence Line by attacking the LTTE with rockets had come under heavy RPG fire.
The damaged helicopters had been lowered to a distant secure place, repaired and put back to service again, sources said. (NP).
Govt. trying to gain political mileage by not accepting bodies of soldiers, charges UNP
By Kesara AbeywardenaUNP spokesman MP Dr. Karunasena Kodituwakku said yesterday that there is a plan by the government not to accept the bodies of soldiers who died at Oddusuddan and Nedunkerni and list the dead among "missing-in-action," for political mileage of the government.
He requested the government to reveal the truth about what he called one of the worst military debacles after the Killinochchi defeat. "This is a national disaster. The government must tell the truth to the kith and kin of these soldiers who are waiting anxiously to receive some information about their beloved ones."
Dr. Kodituwakku was speaking at a UNP press conference at party headquarters.
He said that President Kumaratunga should apologise to the people for what has happened. "President Kumaratunga should drop her post as the Minister of Defence and stop this politically motivated war. Initiating military operations at a time when the President and the Deputy Minister of Defence are unable to give their full attention to the military activities, clearly show the political motives of the government" he said.
Sri Lanka suffers diplomatic hat-trick
Sri Lanka suffered its third successive defeat in the contest for prestigious UN posts when internationally reputed Jurist Christy Weeramantri failed to muster the required number of votes to be appointed to the International Commission of Jurists.
Mr. Weeramantri it is reported to have got the least number of votes among the contestants. On the previous occasion Mr. Weeramantri was elected and completed his term of office.
Last week Sri Lanka failed to get him to the Council of the United Nations ECOSOC (Economic and Social Council).
This council consists of 54 members and is elected by the General Assembly for a three year term of office. Sri Lanka’s entry was considered important in view of the influence ECOSOC has on the UN Human Rights Commission.
Earlier Sri Lanka’s nominee for the post of UNESCO Secretary General Dr. Seneka Dias Bandaranayake failed. He was able to muster only two votes.
Thondaman cremated with state honours
by Walter NanyakkaraThe mortal remains of late S. Thondaman, a Cabinet Minister for twenty two years, and the pioneer of the Ceylon Workers Congress since it was formed in the later 1940s was cremated with state honours at the Independence Square in the presence of his Cabinet colleagues, parliamentarians both government and opposition, supporters, well-wishers and party men yesterday evening.
The funeral procession led by the ‘Ransivige’ carrying the body of the most revered leader of the plantation Tamils of Indian origin left the CWC headquarters at 3.00 p.m. and reached Independence Square for the final rites around 4.30 p.m. Enroute to the Independence Square an Air Force helicopter dropped flowers on the path of the procession.
After the casket bearing the remains was placed on a red-carpeted platform, Army, Navy and Air Force guards stood vigil on the four corners of the casket in turn.
Among the VIPs who were present at the Independence Square to bid farewell to the departed leader were Ministers of the Cabinet, Leader of the Opposition and UNP, Ranil Wickremesinghe, office-bearers of the Ceylon Workers Congress, members of the Colombo based Diplomatic Corps, members of Late Thondaman’s family, representatives of the trade unions, delegates of the government of India and members of the clergy — Buddhist, Hindu, Christian and Islamic.
Funeral orations were made by Leader of the Opposition Ranil Wickremesinghe, Minister of Samurdhi, Youth Affairs and Sports S. B. Dissanayake, Minister of Tourism and Aviation, Dharmasiri Senanayake, Minister of Ports Development, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (East) M. H. M. Ashraff, the Indian delegates, TULF’s Joseph Pararajasingham, PLOTE’s V. Balachandran, Minister Alavi Mowlana, President Planters’ Association, Mahendra Amarasuriya and P. P. Devaraj MP (CWC).
Funeral orations were too long that it was past 7.00 p.m. when the funeral pyre was lit by late Thondaman’s son Ramanadan Thondaman.
Men from the plantation areas wept silently and for some women grief was to much to bear they wept openly when the body of their fatherly leader was deposited in an all white three-tier pyre.
Late Thondaman’s grand son who moved the vote of thanks appealed to everybody to support him to carry on the good work of his grandfather and the ideals he stood for.
India wants SAARC summit deferred
The Minister of State for External Affairs of India Shri Ajit Kumar Panja, who attended the state funeral of Minister S. Thondaman, yesterday paid a courtesy call on Lakshman Kadirgamar, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka. The Minister of State was accompanied by Shri T. Kiruttinan, Minister for Highways & Ports, Government of Tamil Nadu. The Minister of State expressed his deep sorrow at the demise of late S. Thondaman, a parliamentarian of great experience who had a deep commitment to the development of close and cordial relations between India and Sri Lanka’. Minister Mr. Kadirgamar welcomed the Minister of State’s presence for the funeral and promised to convey his condolences and those of Government of India to the Government of Sri Lanka, Indian High Commission spokesman said last night.
He further said that during the course of the conversation, Minister Kadirgamar mentioned about the next SAARC summit too. The Minister of State conveyed that in the interest of SAARC and of a productive meeting, it would be appropriate to defer the Summit for the time being. He emphasised that India’s lasting commitment to the achieving of the socio economic goals envisioned by SAARC, remains undiluted and is second to none.
The Ministers also reviewed the development of India-Sri Lanka relations in various fields.
Meanwhile the Indian High Commission in a communique issued last night quoted the Indian government spokesman as saying that on account of the military coup d’etat in Pakistan and the consequent concern and disquiet expressed in the region and beyond, the Government of India has informed the SAARC Chairperson and Nepal, as the host country for the next Summit, that in the interest of SAARC and of a productive meeting, it would be appropriate to defer the Summit for the time being.
India’s lasting commitment to the achieving of the socio-economic goals, envisioned by SAARC remains undiluted and is second to none.
J’pura varsity freshers ragged
The freshers of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura say that they undergo lot of hardships due to the ragging by their seniors.
A first year medical student who did not want to be identified told "The Island" last night that the senior and final year students of the Arts Faculty had been ragging them since Sept. 13. "The seniors come to our lecture halls and order us to come out and rag us severely. All the freshers occupying hostels have to undergo lot of untold hardships as they are forced to do some nasty exercises and unpleasant acts," he said.
"The seniors come to the hostels of the freshers even as early as 2 a.m. and start ragging. Several days ago the freshers were ordered to march holding their underwears aloft. We are even forced to perform some vulgar jokes and to imitate sexual acts by the seniors. If we do not follow their orders they will manhandle us," he said.
"The university authorities and the academic staff members are blind to these sadistic acts of the seniors. Yesterday many lecturers just turned the other way and went when the newcomers were ragged," he complained.
