Col. Balraj leads Tiger SF attack on three TEMVP – ENDLF camps
by D.B.S. Jeyaraj
Two camps of the Tamil Eelam Makkal Viduthalaip Puligal (TEMVP) and another camp of the Eelam National Democratic Liberation Front (ENDLF) were attacked by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the early hours of morning on Sunday April 30th.The attack took place within the Kandankaadu GS division in Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) controlled Polonnaruwa district
At least fifteen cadres belonging to the TEMVP led by Vinayagamoorthy Muraleetharan alias Karuna Ammaan and the ENDLF led by by Gnapragasam Gnanasegeram alias Paranthan Rajan were killed in the raid. About fifteen cadres were injured of whom nine were seriously wounded and are warded at the Polonnaruwa hospital. Another five cadres have been allegedly taken alive as prisoners by the LTTE.
Though TEMVP sources say seven LTTE men were killed LTTE circles have dismissed it saying only a few received injuries and none have died. One LTTE member was seriously wounded when the Army fired mortars from the Sinhapura camp.
Over 200 men from the LTTE special Force commando division brought down specially for the operation participated in the attack that was personally led by the special commander “Col” Balraj himself. Col. Bhanu the LTTE special commander for the Amparai – Batticaloa region was responsible for planning, coordination and logistics. Major Nagesh of the Special Forces and Major. Keerthi of the Intelligence division also played important roles in the operation.
The fragile ceasefire came under grave threat when the vessels of the LTTE sea tiger division were sailing from Mullaitheevu to Trincomalee to transport the special force cadres back. Coastal navy camps in Kokkilaai and Kokkuthoduwaai began shelling them. LTTE ships fired back. Later the Air Force began bombing the Kokkilaai area. The situation was later contained and the LTTE ships returned back with the SF cadres while Navy ships followed at a distance.
The operation commenced at about 12.30 – 12.35 am in the night on Sunday April 30th . There were three camps within close proximity in the Kandankaadu GS division in the Thibulana jungle area of Polonnaruwa district.. The camps were located at a place called Kasankulam. The area was on the borders of Batticaloa district . It was about six km north of Welikanda in the Polonnaruwa district and about 10 km east of Kaddumurivukkulam in Batticaloa district.
The main army camp at Sinhapura along with two mini – camps at Kuruwatte and Suriyawewa were very close to the three camps attacked.. The Kasankulam Police station was also near.Two of the camps belonged to the Karuna faction of the LTTE which calls itself the TEMVP now. One belonged to the ENDLF led by Paranthan Rajan. The ENDLF had relocated to India after the Indian army left.
After the Karuna split the ENDLF aligned with the faction. A joint armed wing called Tamil National Force was formed. Due to political differences the joint force was dissolved. But both groups functioned together in the North – East and North – Central provinces while maintaining their separate identities.
One Karuna faction camp in Kandankaadu was commanded by Riyaseelan and the other by Sinnathamby. Both were regarded as chief lieutnenants of Karuna. They came under the regional command of Markan. The ENDLF camp was controlled by Reagan. A senior PLOTE leader from Periyakallaru Reagan had later joined the ENDLF. He was a reputed ENDLF leader for 20 years and had returned from India last year.
Over 200 tigers led by Col. Balraj the special Commando force commander moved after dusk through the Wadamunai jungles and encircled the area. The objective seemed to be that of inflicting a decisive blow and eliminating the top leaders. Fortunately for the TEMVP – ENDLF their top leaders and the bulk of cadres were not in the camps when the LTTE struck around 12. 30 – 35 am.
Though taken by surprise and confronted by overwhelming numbers the anti – tiger men seemed to have fought back. The firefight went on for about forty minutes till 1. 15 am. . The TEMVP – ENDLF then retreated. The LTTE also began withdrawing as the army from Sinhapura camp began firing artillery. One LTTE fighter was seriously injured when a shell fired at random fell close by.
Though the TEMVP spokesman Thooyavan says seven LTTE men were killed LTTE political commissar for Batticaloa – Amparai Dayamohan denies it. Only a few were injured slightly say tiger sources.Meanwhile security has been increased for the Karuna faction office in Govington road in Batticaloa town after the attack in Polonnaruwa.
According to information available eight bodies of fighters killed by the LTTE were taken away by their comrades. Of these four were from the TEMVP and four from the ENDLF. At least seven bodies were lying in the areas where fighting took place. Six of the nine warded in hospital are Karuna’s and three are Paranthan Rajan’s men.The LTTE also captured at least five men alive and took them away it is learnt.
LTTE commandos seized two PK LMGs, one RPG, one 81 mm mortar, six AK LMGs, 16 automatic rifles, 2 handguns and communication equipment claim LTTE sources. The tigers also burnt the three camps down before withdrawing.
According to reports around 80 to 90 cadres were staying at the three camps but because of the week- end many had gone elsewhere . Also the bodyguards of camp commanders Sinnathamby and Riyaseelan were also not there as both of them were in another location. There were only about 50 to 60 men at the camps when the LTTE attacked.
Pro – tiger websites have said that over 30 were killed and 15 injured while anti – tiger websites have denied them.
Among those killed was Krishna a senior body guard of Karuna Amman and another senior Eastern fighter Mannaalan. The ENDLF’s Reagan was also killed.
According to some reports two vehicles belonging to the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization were found at the camp premises. They were the vehicles in which TRO officials were travelling in when abducted near Welikanda army camp by TEMVP – ENDLF cadres in January this year. Seven TRO personnel are yet to return and are presumed killed.
Another report said that a Vavuniya businessman who was abducted some months ago was also found in the camp. This man is believed to be a well – known man in Vavuniya called “pulikutty”.
The LTTE seems to have been planning this operation for quite a while. Special force commandoes had been brought to the East from the North in tiny batches so as to avoid attention. They were kept in secret locations in the Kudumbimalai or Thoppigala region.
Eastern special commander Bhanu himself a native of Ariyalai in the North was holed up in Kudumbimalai with them. This “withdrawal” by Col. Bhanu even led to a Karuna faction propagandist ridiculing the tiger leader about being a coward hiding in Kudumbimalai in fear of Karuna Amman. Actually preparations for the assault were underway.
While the legendary Balraj hero of many a tiger battle led the special forces personally in the operation Bhanu too was closely associated being responsible for planning, coordination and logistics. Nagesh who hails from Batticaloa district was field commander in the operation.. Keerthi another Easterner was responsible for intelligence gathering and reconnaissance.
The special force personnel moved by land to Verugal and then to Sampoor in Trincomalee district. LTTE sea tiger vessels started out from Mullaitheevu to Trinco to fetch the cadres. But navy camps along the coast on Kokkilai and Kokkuthoduwai saw the ships and began firing. The tiger boats also fired back and proceeded .
The LTTE vessels then returned back to Mullaitheevu from Sampoor with special force cadres. Realising perhaps the actual situation Naval ships folllowed at a discreet distance without attacking till the sea tiger ships berthed in Mullaitheevu.
Thereafter panic seems to have set in that the LTTE was going to attack Kokkilai and Kokkuthoduwai. An unconfirmed report said Sinhala residents were evacuated and Air force K- firs began bombing outlying areas in a show of force.The bombing took place for two hours from from 7 to 9 pm. It was confined mainly to jungle areas under the impression that LTTE cadres were hiding in readiness for an assault. There are no reports of civilian casualties.
Though the casualty figures are low for an operation where more than 200 elite tiger commando’s participated the Kandankaadu attack the LTTE has delivered three significant blows to the GOSL and its so called paramilitaries.
The LTTE has demonstrated that it is capable of a remarkable military operation where its cadres can target camps wherever and whenever it wants to.
The LTTE has also exposed the GOSL stance that no paramilitay camps exist in Government controlled areas.
The LTTE has also shown Colombo that excessive reliance on the Karuna factor in military calculations can be thoroughly misplaced when it comes to direct combat.
Meanwhile there is talk of talks commencing in Geneva soon. The biggest issue was and will be the Paramilitary issue. It is possible that more attacks of this type could happen in the future with regularity.
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Contact DBS Jeyaraj : djeyaraj2005@yahoo.com
April 30th, 2006