Air Defence System Activated

At least two unidentified aircrafts have entered the skies over Colombo and the city’s air defence system has been activated. More information is not available as of this moment.

Update: One of the aircraft involved in the attack was shot down a short while ago near the Air Force Base in Katunayake. A body which is suspected to be of the pilot has been recovered.

Meanwhile a building of the Inland Revenue department in Colombo fort has been damaged. Around 25 people injured in the incident were admitted to hospital.

Update 2: Both aircraft has been shot down. Meanwhile the aircraft shot down near Katunayake has crashed inside the HSZ. It appears that the plane carried a large amount of explosives. Even the pilot himself seems to have carried several hand grenades.

Civilian casualties in suicide blast - Dharmapuram

Heavy civilian casualties have been reported when a LTTE female suicide bomber detonated herself near an IDP center Vishwamadu area. Several soldiers of the 58 division have also been injured. As of this moment, exact casualty details are not available. The blast may have been planned to discourage any more civilians from crossing over the the government controlled territory. For the past two days alone more than 8000 civilians have managed to flee LTTE control.

LTTE now seems to be heavily deploying their suicide cadres to attack the army. During the past two weeks more than 6 suicide attacks have targeted SLA FDL both at PTK as well as at Challai. Some of these attacks did inflict casualties on the army’s side. LTTE’s last ‘innovative attack’ to breach the army FDL south of PTK too turned into an unintentional suicide mission. Another 30 man ‘LTTE commando"’ unit was sent in an armor plated lorry to execute an attack similar to the one launched by the tigers on the 1st of February. The lorry along with around 30 tigers on board was pulverized by 53 division units before ‘LTTE commandos’ could fire a single shot.

Chalai falls

Troops of the 55 division have breached the 3rd and final LTTE defence line at Challai and have advanced into LTTE’s last remaining major sea tiger base. Fighting has been going on this area ever since SLA units breached LTTE’s second ‘earth bund’ about a week ago. Soldiers of the 7 VIR (Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment) attached to 55 division today overran the 3rd and final earth bund at Challai and moved further into LTTE held territory. Heaviest fighting in this area was reported in the past two days, specially during the night. The bund captured today and the one captured last week were located about 2km apart from each other.

According to military intelligence, several senior sea tiger wing members have perished in Challai fighting. A deputy sea tiger leader identified as Vinayagam, a sea tiger special commander identified as Kannan and several other regional leaders are said to be killed in yesterday and today’s fighting.

Fighting erupts south of Puthukkudiyiruppu

Heavy fighting erupted between the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) when a group of LTTE fighters tried to breach the 59 division forward defence line (FDL) yesterday (1st) morning. 18 SLA soldiers have been killed and around 50 more have been injured in the fighting. Two main battle tanks (MBT) and a tractor transporting supplies to the front line have also been damaged. SLA units have recovered around 15 dead bodies of LTTE cadres. Sporadic clashes are still continuing in the area.

Meanwhile 58 division units yesterday recovered a large quantity of arms and ammunition from an LTTE base located east of Puliyampokkanal. Among the recovered weapons were three 120mm heavy mortars – a weapon with a 7km-10km effective range.

58 division reaches Vishwamadu junction

LTTE’s defences on several fronts as collapsing. On one front the 59 division is extended their defences north of Mullathivu till Vaduvakal, a small village.On another front, 55 division units moving south of Chundikulam have breached LTTE defence line at Challai. Delivering yet another blow for LTTE, troops of the 58 division took control of Vishwamadu junction several hours ago. Two senior LTTE leaders identified as ‘Kobe Master’ and ‘Shanthan Kumar’ are believed to be killed in Vishwamadu fighting. Sporadic clashes are still continuing in this area.

Meanwhile the ‘Liberation’ tigers have fled further towards the recently declared no war zone.

55 division units move into Challai

Troops from the Sri Lanka Army’s 55 division moved into Challai yesterday (27th) evening. Challai LTTE defences (located south of Chundikulam) were breached in several places in the advance. SLA have not officially declared this area captured yet as search operations are still continuing. The large number of land mines and booby traps placed by the tigers have considerably slowed down clearing ops. Capture of Challai is significant to the army as it’s home to one of the last remaining naval bases of the LTTE. 55 division is commanded by Brigadier Prasanna Silva, a former Special Forces commander who chased LTTE out of Vakarai back in 2007.

Military intelligence (MI) earlier received information that LTTE had hidden its light aircraft in Challai region. So far however, no traces of such aircraft have been found.

Meanwhile a large group of civilians fleeing into government controlled territory were attacked by LTTE yesterday morning. MI estimates the number of deaths to exceed 20 in this incident alone.

Troops capture Mullaithivu

The Sri Lanka army (SLA) now has complete control of the Mullathivu township which had been under LTTE control for the last 12 years. SLA’s massive base complex in Mullathivu fell in July, 1996 when LTTE launched their first Unceasing Waves operation. The first SLA units to enter Mullathivu town last morning were from the 59 division. A number of LTTE cadres were killed in operations in and around Mullathivu town and bodies of 19 fallen tigers have been recovered by the army. 59 division started its operations back in 2007 from Weli Oya sector and have been continuously moving north into LTTE held territory in Mullathivu district.

Meanwhile a a lot of false information regarding the Kalamadukulam tank bund explosion are being spread by pro LTTE media. According to some of these sites, over 3000 SLA units were killed and another 5000 were taken prisoner by the LTTE. DefenceNet can only laugh at these claims. When the LTTE blew up the tank bund using explosives, water began to flood sections of the A-35 road, Ramanadanpuram, Dharmapuran and Vishwamadu (which is currently under LTTE control). 6 SLA squads from 57 and 58 division were caught in the flood water and had to battle their way out as LTTE cadres on board 5 boats kept attacking them. 3 of these boats were destroyed while two others escaped. Although the situation was not as severe as the SLA initially expected it to be, several units from the 53 division were deployed in the affected area as a precautionary measure. 53 division is kept as a reserve force to be used in the event of an LTTE counterattack. Even though the floods failed to inflict any considerable damage to SLA, it did however cut off several land routes which the civilians could have used to get into the ‘safe zone’ (also known as ‘LTTE artillery launchpad’). 

No fighter jets missing

Yesterday, pro LTTE media reported of a SLAF fighter jet which allegedly went missing in the ‘northern frontier’. According to Pro LTTE Tamilnet, a Mig fighter jet with three airmen inside was shot in the skies over Wanni. Part of the initial report is quoted below:

A Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) MIG fighter jet was shot in the skies over Vanni on Wednesday, according to initial reports from journalists outside Sri Lanka, who cited a highly placed source in Vanni Sri Lankan Forces Headquarters (Vanni SF-HQ). The Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) officials were not available to comment on the reports.
There were 3 airmen inside the aircraft, according to the reports from the Sri Lankan side.

DefenceNet can confirm that this story is completely false. There were no fighter jets missing and MIG27 ‘Flogger’ variant bombers the SLAF possesses are not designed to fly with three airmen inside. Tamilnet, after realizing their mistake have now updated the article:

The exact model type of the MIG fighter jet was not revealed and the information on the number of airmen reported missing as three was also confusing, the journalist said.

Apart from fabricated stories such as this one, pro LTTE media carry stories of civilians injured by SLA artillery fire/airstrikes on a daily basis. Aside from the exaggeration in these reports, they fail to mention how the LTTE has placed its heavy mortars in close proximity of civilian settlements and how civilians fleeing to government controlled territory are shot on sight. Civilians are not the target of Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) or the artillery regiment. Had it not been for the human shield deployed by the LTTE, forces would have advanced even closer to last remaining tiger strongholds by now.

Meanwhile the SLAF today dropped leaflets over Mullathivu, informing civilians of the newly declared safety zone. It is doubtful whether the LTTE will allow free movement of civilians to this area.

4 LTTE boats sunk, SLN FAC damaged in sea battle

Four LTTE sea tiger craft including an explosive laden suicide boat were destroyed in a sea battle that ensued east of Mullaithivu coastline. A SLN Fast Attack Craft (FAC) also sustained heavy damages in the incident. The exact number of LTTE cadres killed is not known as of yet. SLN units have recovered two LTTE bodies from the area after the battle.

It is believed that the LTTE flotilla was targeting one of the larger SLN vessels deployed in the Mullathivu seas. Luckily the boat movement was detected by FACs patrolling closer to the shore and SLN engaged the sea tigers before they could mount a surprise attack. A suicide boat tried to ram into one of the FACs but it was destroyed before it could reach its target. However, the suicide boat exploded in close proximity of the FAC and it sustained damages due to the blast.

Meanwhile troops laying siege to Mullaithivu recovered 9 more LTTE bodies yesterday (20th). More than 100 LTTE bodies have been sent to Vavuniya and Anuradhapura hospitals in the past two weeks alone. Around 75 of these have already been buried since handing them over to the LTTE via ICRC was is longer possible.

Troops capture LTTE runway in Iranamadu

The LTTE’s largest airstrip located near the Iranamadu tank, was captured today (15th) morning by Sri Lanka Army’s Task Force 3. The airstrip which was 1km long and 50m wide is now under complete SLA control. The premises was protected by fortified bunkers, landmines and booby traps. Buildings around the airstrip have been severely damaged by fleeing LTTE cadres. No traces of LTTE’s light aircraft were found. The Iranamadu airstrip has been subject to frequent aerial raids by the Sri Lanka Air Force. As per UAV footage , SLAF’s was successful in damaging the runway several times in the past. With the airstrip’s capture today, troops observed that the LTTE had managed to repair most of the damage caused by SLAF bombings.

Meanwhile with the capture of Chundikulam, the entire Jaffna peninsula is now under SLA control. LTTE’s last major base in Jaffa district was overrun yesterday by the 55 division. 55 division units have captured several heavy vehicles and over 100 small sea tiger craft during this advance.