GEORGE : INTL COMMUNITY HAD LOST THE TRUST...!!!

Army teams hunt for Prabha and Pottu........SUNIL JAYASRI

Troops in a daring operation rescue civilians

The world’s largest ‘hostage rescue operation’ has almost come to a successful end as its main objective is being achieved. With the Sri Lanka army’s daring operation the security forces have been able to rescue over 120,000 civilians since Monday morning, which has put the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) into a complete no-win situation.

At present, the civilians who were forcibly detained by the Tigers in the government declared ‘safe zone’ are on the move towards the cleared areas despite the LTTE’s action to prevent them. Indiscriminate firing at the fleeing civilians by the LTTE killed a considerable number men, women and children. Many of these incidents had been recorded by the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) of the Sri Lanka Air Force.

The much-awaited rescue operation was launched just before midnight on Sunday after hours long planning on the day, under the special direction of 58 Division Commander Brigadier Shavindra Silva and his senior officers.

First day

It was around 11.45 pm when a Special Forces (1-SF) team and another team from 2 Commando Unit led by Colonels Athula Kodippili and Ralph Nugera commenced the rescue operation.

Their main purpose was to capture the 12 kilomtres long earth bund that was the last earth bund built by the LTTE. The bund had been built to prevent troops entering the safe zone from Puthukuduyirrippu east is in an area just past the lagoon between the mainland and the small stretch in the coastal belt. The first task was to cross the lagoon without being seen by the LTTE. The SF and Commandos had been separated into small groups, consisting eight men and twelve men, who are experts in unconventional guerrilla tactics.

First the 58 Division soldiers launched a barrage of heavy artillery and mortars shells at the earth bund, just directly on to the bund in order to clear the bund of LTTE cadres. Due to this attack a large number of cadres were reportedly killed. Immediately thereafter the SF and Commando soldiers crossed the lagoon utilizing barrels and using their swimming skills in the ice cool water. Their main purpose was to capture some 3 kilomtres of the bund, between Amplavanpokerni and Puthumatalan. Several teams were scheduled to enter the enemy line of some 500 metres area and then later other groups were assigned to capture the entire three kilometre bund.

By the time the troops succeeded in entering the earth bund, the LTTE had vacated their bunker lines just behind the bund.

Within an hour the troops were able to cross the earth bund after crossing the lagoon. During this period, the LTTE carried out random attacks on the military, but these attacks did not prevent the troops’ forward movement.

The troops then commenced the removal of booby traps and anti-personnel mines that were laid on the earth bund. They moved slowly and steadily to remove the mines one by one. After more than an hour, troops were able to remove nearly thousand mines. Troops had to cross an eight feet deep ditch that had been filled with water. Several soldiers had been killed in these deep ditches during earlier operations. After crossing it the SF and commando personnel reached the bunker line over the earth bund and stopped their movements just few yards away from the bunker lines.

Just before dawn, the SF and Commandos stormed several bunkers simultaneously and attacked the large number of LTTE cadre who were inside these bunkers killing them instantaneously. The LTTE cadres had no time to react as the soldiers rapidly stormed the bunker lines. SF soldiers were also able to destroy a mortar launcher that the LTTE was using to cause heavy damages to the military.

Knowing that the military had secretly entered the earth bund, several LTTE cadres, who were just behind the bunker lines fled further south along the coastal belt. Soon more soldiers entered the area in order to support the SF and Commandos. In a short period of time troops succeeded in clearing the entire three kilomtre earth bund. The troops also repulsed an LTTE attack to re capture the earth bund by the using artillery and mortars.

Thereafter the teams cleared a stretch of 3km between Puthumathalan and Valaimadam.

The troops however, did not fire a single bullet beyond these LTTE bunkers as there was heavy presence of civilians.

After seeing that the army had come to rescue them, civilians started to run towards the earth bund despite the LTTE gunfire. The Special Forces and Commandos who were advancing further towards the LTTE held areas had to temporarily halt their movement due to the unexpected movement of thousands of civilians towards them. Allowing the civilians to come, soldiers of the 58 Division, who were operating in the cleared areas started to move forward to show the mine free path to facilitate safe civilian movement. The LTTE being unable to stop the civilian movement started to fire directly at the civilians killing and wounding a large number of them. The LTTE had sent three suicide female cadres with the civilians. Three cadres blew themselves killing at least seventeen civilians including two children and wounding more than 200. Later the civilians started coming by crossing the lagoon.

In Colombo, President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Air Force Commander were watching the live visuals of the civilian movement through the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles at the Air Force Operations Room. At the end of the day, about fifteen soldiers of the Special Forces including a Captain were killed and several injured during the battle. The LTTE radio communications confirmed that more than 50 LTTE cadres were killed and a large number of cadres injured. Troops were able to rescue a total of 41,000 civilians during the day.

Second day

The Special Forces and Commandos continued to take the lead in the hostage rescue operation as they continued to advance towards the LTTE held area. In the second phase of the operation, the military objective was to separate the safe zone from Puthumatalan and link it with the sea front. On the second day, troops were able to advance smoothly as there was less resistance from the LTTE. Troops succeeded in establishing a link with the sea by the Tuesday evening, encircling less than fifty LTTE cadres and at least 5000 civilians in the north of safe zone.

A video footage, captured from the UAV clearly showed the LTTE directly firing and killing those fleeing civilians who later found refuge with the 55 Division in north of Puthumatalan. Some of them carried three bodies of persons just killed by the LTTE. During the day at least 36,000 civilians sought refuge with the military.

Third day

Soldiers of the 58 Division advanced towards the north of the safe zone from the separated area. Their main purpose was to link with the 55 Division soldiers in the north of Puthumatalan. After killing more than fifty LTTE cadres, the two divisions were able to link up. The 55 Division however did not advance their defences.

At the end of the day 22,000 civilians were rescued by the troops.

LTTE translator George Master reveals the untold story...

Significantly, two longstanding members and third level senior leaders surrendered to the military.

Troops manning Puthumattalan area while receiving civilians stated that two persons with their family members had told the soldiers that one of them was Daya Master and the other was George.

A soldier escorted them to his immediate boss, who identified both of them. Daya Master was a one time LTTE Media spokesman and George was the official translator of the LTTE including slain LTTE Political Chief S.P. Thamilselvan.

Daya Master had come with his family members while George had no family members with him.

Daya Master alias Velayutham Thayanithi, from Thambasiddy, Puloly West, Point Pedro started life as a private tutor in English and ran a private tuition centre in Puloly.

Due to his good command of the English language, he was a popular language tutor in Vadamarachchi.

He later became the official spokesman for the LTTE for a long period.

However, with the Ceasefire Agreement in 2004; he had been sidelined by the LTTE leadership. During the same period he was treated at Apollo Hospital in Colombo.

George Master, who was a Retired Post Master, joined the LTTE as a translator, after reading an advertisement in the ‘Eelanadan’ newspaper for the post of translator for the LTTE.

According to George Master, he had joined the LTTE due to his financial difficulties. Before he joined the LTTE his only son had died due to an attack of Chicken Pox. An Engineering Student of the Peradeniya University, his son had undergone a kidney transplant, which was lent by his father George Master.

George Master had obtained rupees five lakhs from the President’s Fund in 1990, on two occasions for his son’s operations.

After the death of his son, George Master had sent his daughter to UK, where she is currently living.

During the military interrogation, Mr. George had revealed that he was a powerful member of the Communist Party and was able to send one of his friends to the Parliament from the Point Pedro electorate , who was the first Communist member to be elected from the Jaffna peninsula.

George Master revealed though he wanted to resign from the LTTE, his immediate boss Thamilselvan did not allow him to do so.

He described how Prabhakaran, the LTTE leader as a man was afraid to commit suicide, though he had the cyanide capsule around his neck. However, he said that Prabhakaran might try to escape from the country, but claimed that he would not commit suicide.

He said that the international community had lost the trust on LTTE, since the LTTE did not show any flexible stance during the peace talks, specially talks that facilitated by the Norwegian government.

George Master said that during the Ceasefire period, that was signed in 2002, LTTE only strengthened themselves but did not consider the people of Wanni.

He said that it was a peace period but was not a development period.

Troops find Prabha’s hideout

The army has identified the exact location of LTTE Chief Velupillai Prabhakaran, who reportedly is hiding among the civilians.

A senior ground commander said that with the available information, troops are moving towards the location in order to hunt down the terror chief. He said that troops are confident of killing or capturing the LTTE leader and senior level leaders who are accompanying him.

However, he declined to reveal more information about the hideout of Prabhakaran, who is constantly changing his hideouts. With the reduction of the area held by the LTTE, the places for Prabhakaran to hide are now limited.

Meanwhile, surrendered former LTTE spokesman Daya Master also confirmed the general area where Prabhakaran was hiding.

Army Chief Sarath Fonseka too confirmed that troops knew the general area where Prabhakaran was hiding. “Action will be taken to destroy him since he is hiding near the coast,” he had told the media.