LTTE’s formidable Offensive capabilities can be understood from the fact that they won many conventional battles without the support of Air-Force. LTTE used Black Tigers (suicide attackers) to compensate for the lack of Air Force. Eg. Black Tigers had conducted hundreds of large and small precise raids behind enemy lines.
I have already written about all important battles so here I will give just one example of a less known offensive.
PARANTHAN OFFENSIVE :
[Part of “Battle of Kilinochchi” or Operation Unceasing Waves 2 ( ஓயாத அலைகள் இரண்டு)]
This intense offensive not only turned the whole course of the Wanni War(1996–1999) in favor of LTTE but also helped them win Elephant Pass in April 2000.
After Army’s defeat in the Battle Of Kilinochchi (1998) a dejected SL MP said:
It is the Greatest defeat suffered by the Sinhalese in the history after the conquest of Anuradhapura by the Cholas.
Street (Fist) fighting
This offensive saw LTTE cadres and SLA soldiers involved in fist fighting and hitting each other with the butt of their rifles. Also, it put LTTE leadership in a dilemma when a female commander made a deadly request.
Background:
After the fall of Jaffna in 1995, LTTE regrouped itself in the Wanni and started to strengthen its positions across the Wanni region.
In 1996 LTTE won “Battle of Mullaitivu”[2] (Op.Unceasing Waves I) and established its control over the whole district. More than 1500 SLA soldiers were killed in this battle. SLA replied to this by launching Operation Sathjaya and captured Kilinochchi from LTTE in the same year.
Op.Jayasikurui(1997–1999)[3] and the importance of “Kilinochchi”
On 1997 SLA launched Operation Jayasikurui which was the largest military operation in the history of independent Sri Lanka. The aim of the operation was to liberate A9 Highway from Vavuniya to Kilinochchi.
Kilinochchi was the meeting point of Op. Jayasikurui Forces. When Army failed to liberate A9 Highway from the south they changed the direction and tried to liberate A9 Highway from Kilinochchi(towards south).
LTTE chief appointed Col.Theepan as the overall field commander of LTTE’s counter operations in Wanni. Karuna Amman was appointed as his partner who looked after all the logistics missions.
Col.Theepan successfully blocked Army’s advance from the south near Puliyankulam for more than 4 months. Though the operation continued for almost 2 years yet the army never recovered from this initial delay.
Image: Col.Theepan(L) led most of the battles in Wanni 1996–2000.
LTTE’s strategy:
After capturing Kilinochchi from LTTE, SLA combined the whole Elephant Pass- Paranthan-Kilinochchi military complex and 54 Division was stationed with Elephant Pass as its headquarter.
LTTE’s main goal was to capture Elephant Pass but LTTE chief knew that they cannot capture it unless 54 division was chased out of Kilinochchi, the southernmost part of the complex. The strongest point of Kilinochchi base was having easy access to Paranthan and Elephant Pass for reinforcement.
For LTTE to recapture Kilinochchi they had to isolate Kilinochchi from its reinforcement bases like Paranthan.
So it was decided that small LTTE teams would infiltrate behind enemy lines. They position themselves at the rear of Kilinochchi and block the reinforcements coming from Paranthan.
Enemy at the Gates: LTTE breach Kilinochchi’s first line of defense ( Feb 1998) :
In February 1998 LTTE made a small attempt to recapture Kilinochchi. After heavy fighting LTTE retreated. But they successfully captured the first line of defense. But as usual, SL Army and Government started to chest thump that they have successfully defended Kilinochchi from LTTE assault.
The army never tried to recapture these defense lines from LTTE. It was a grave mistake.
In 1996 Army launched the attack from Elephant Pass(from North) to capture Kilinochchi from LTTE. They first moved towards the east( to fool LTTE) then suddenly turned southwest. Another column was already moving towards south on the west side of Kilinochchi. Finally, Kilinochchi was attacked from three sides and LTTE was forced to leave the town.
After February 1998 attack LTTE captured most of these areas from where the Army successfully attacked Kilinochchi in 1996. Once the Army’s first line of defense was breached LTTE waited for 6 months. All these months spy Tigers worked day and night to find all loopholes as well as weak points in Kilinochchi’s defenses.
Main Battle:
Image: LTTE chief Prabhakaran(L) with all his senior commanders.
On the early morning of 27th September 1998 LTTE columns moved out from their defensive lines(from South and south-east) and launched a massive assault on the forward defensive lines of SLA at multiple areas. LTTE also used the flanking maneuver tactics to surround the whole Kilinochchi Base.
At the same time, LTTE artillery and mortar units started pounding Kilinochchi Base.
Simultaneous Commando raids: Behind enemy lines
Image: LTTE female Black Tigers(c) and female Sea Tigers.
Before launching the attack LTTE sent its commando teams behind enemy lines to Paranthan and Elephant Pass region. These teams were ordered to launch an attack just a few hours before LTTE ground forces attack Kilinochchi from the south.
An LTTE commando team almost destroyed an artillery base at Iyakkachchi, north of Elephant Pass. Similarly, other teams attacked multiple bases and engaged enemy forces in and around Paranthan. Simultaneously LTTE shelled the main garrison at Elephant Pass.
All these raids were conducted by LTTE to engage Army platoons at Elephant Pass and Paranthan to disrupt their reinforcement missions to save Kilinochchi from falling.
Balraj: Behind enemy lines:
LTTE teams led by Balraj penetrated behind enemy lines and positioned themselves around Kardippokku region between Pranthan and Kilinochchi.
They quickly captured long areas North of Kilinochchi and dig trenches and built temporary bunkers. They were just waiting for LTTE’s assault on the southern defenses. Once LTTE started the operation Balraj’s teams started to feel the heat and become the main center of the whole battle.
Led by Col.Theepan LTTE teams intensified their attack on the Kilinochchi base. Simultaneously LTTE artillery was pounding the heart of the Kilinochchi base.
Bidirectional battle:
Balraj’s teams had to fight two directional battle.
- They had to block/kill SLA soldiers retreating from Kilinochchi and running towards North to Paranthan.
- Also, they had to block SLA’s reinforcement forces coming from Paranthan and moving towards south to Kilinochchi.
Ease the pressure:
As mentioned earlier to ease the pressure on Balraj’s forces(behind enemy lines) LTTE chief had already sent multiple commando teams behind enemy lines to Paranthan and Elephant Pass. These teams were attacking(from the rear) the reinforcement forces which were trying to reach Kilinochchi.
Reinforcement was destroyed:
They say LTTE made sure that not even a single pin reach Kilinochchi from Paranthan. LTTE attacked burned down everything which tried to reach Kilinochchi.
Annihilation of the Base: Army concedes defeat
LTTE forces surrounded the base from all four sides. Unable to resist LTTE forces and its artillery finally SLA headquarter ordered SLA to vacate the Kilinochchi Base on the 3rd day.
Pressure mounted on Balraj’s forces:
With nowhere to go and no reinforcement coming SLA soldiers started running towards Paranthan(North). Now they had to cross the LTTE positions led by Balraj. With huge pain in the rear large platoons of SLA soldiers moved towards Balraj’s teams with a do or die missions.
Fully prepared LTTE teams started attacking these SLA soldiers coming towards them. LTTE also started shelling the whole path. But the gap between these retreating soldiers and LTTE positions started shrinking.
Female cadres targeted:
Image: Col.Bhanu inspecting LTTE mortar units.
As they faced huge resistance from Balraj’s teams they try to find a weak point in his defenses. Finally, SLA decided to attack LTTE defenses where Balraj had deployed LTTE female brigades. Probably they thought that dealing with female fighters would be little easier than male Tigers.
Now the whole pressure mounted at the points which were controlled by female LTTE commanders. Large enemy forces started moving towards Female Tiger positions.
LTTE chief directed his artillery and mortar brigades to shell the path and give cover to those Female Tiger positions which were under massive attack by retreating enemy forces.
“Shell on us”: Female brigades:
Image: Lt.Col.Selvi.
As Balraj’s mission was a behind enemy line operation his boys and girls had limited ammunition and firepower. Also, they were fighting for almost 3 days.
Just like other teams, Female Tigers were also started to run out of ammunition.
Soon the gap between retreating enemy soldiers and Female Tiger positions started shrinking. When the gap between enemy soldiers and female LTTE fighters become small LTTE headquarter asked its artillery and mortar teams to stop shelling in those areas.
But to their surprise female commanders Lt.Col.Selvi and Lt.Col. Gnani contacted her field commanders and artillery teams and asked them to shell directly on them. She said:
“ எங்க மேலே செல் அடிங்கோ” (shell on us).
This was a deadly request and put the LTTE headquarters in dilemma.
But they cannot let retreating enemies to just run over these positions because this would put the rear of their positions in danger. On the rear, other LTTE teams were still fighting the reinforcement forces. So allowing these enemy platoons to overrun LTTE defenses would make the rear team face bidirectional attack all alone.
In short, the siege of Kilinochchi would be breached and that too at a time when LTTE had almost won the battle. Selvi and all other female commanders present there knew it. So their request made sense.
Finally, LTTE headquarters asked its fighters to take cover inside their trenches Soon LTTE artillery and mortar shelling resumed in the area.
On the downside, as it was a behind enemy line operation those trenches were dug in a hurry. They were not deep enough to protect cadres from LTTE’s heavy artillery shelling. But they had no other choice. Most of the retreating enemy forces were annihilated.
As expected Lt.Co.Selvi and many of her colleagues were martyred in the battle. As a tribute to the sacrifice of the female brigades, LTTE chief asked Col.Vidusha to hoist LTTE flag inside Kilinochchi.
Image: Balraj explains the behind enemy lines intercept operation to LTTE’s female fighter before the start of Battle of Kilinochchi.
Aftermath:
A large number of SLA officers and soldiers deserted the front lines and disappeared. In December’98 Meeting, SL President asked top Army commanders to hunt down all the deserters and redeploy them on the front lines.
SLA abandon their fallen soldiers:
Media was censored by the Government. As usual, SLA put most of its fallen soldiers’ names on the missing list and refused to take their dead bodies. It was done to keep casualty figures low and downplay the humiliating defeat.
LTTE announced that when they entered the Kilinochchi it was full of SLA dead bodies with pieces of their uniforms flying all over the places.
Ended SL’s largest military operation
At the time of fall of Kilinochchi Army’s Operation Jayasikurui had already become the longest running military operation in South Asia.
As Kilinochchi was the original meeting point of the Jayasikurui forces Army decided to temporarily halt the nearly 2 years (21+ months-long) operation on 2nd December 1998. It was never resumed and permanently abandoned in 1999.
Elephant Pass exposed:
Image: The timeless picture of Eelam Armed struggle. Balraj on his way to stun the World, March 2000.
With the fall of Kilinochchi Elephant Pass’ southern defense lines becomes exposed to LTTE attacks. LTTE went on to win Paranthan and then Elephant Pass in April 2000.
Balraj’s 3-day Paranthan offensive was a kind of trailer for his 34 days stunning battle at the Elephant Pass in March-April 2000.
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