Of Ambushes and Things

A small unit of the Sri Lanka Army's elite Special Forces were infiltrating LTTE controlled Madu sector on information obtained from credible sources last Tuesday. Their mission was to eliminate the LTTE's special commander 'Col.' Jeyam who was placed in charge of Mannar to reorganize LTTE defenses against Army attacks in recent months. Jeyam was touring the area along with the Mannar Sea Tiger Leader Lakshman when the Special Forces unit from the 1st Special Forces Regiment infiltrated the area. A powerful roadside bomb was placed to greet Jeyam and Lakshman. The Claymore Mine, similar to an IED than a normal 15kg Claymore, was carefully concealed. The team waited patiently for several hours when a Defender four-wheel-drive jeep was observed darting along the road. The SF unit jumped into action. The bomb was detonated with a deafening noise and the Defender jeep reeled to a halt. The aluminum body of the vehicle was ripped apart and five bodies were observed. It later became evident that it was the LTTE's Artillery Wing Leader for Madu Puleiwar Annan alias Thuyyawan that was killed. Jeyam and Lakshman had made a split-second decision not to travel on that road, which may very well have saved their lives for the Special Forces don't usually miss.

Four other LTTE cadres were also killed alongside Thuyyawan. The Madu Artillery Wing Leader was a shrewd and skilled operator who took part in a surprise attack on the Army's artillery positions several months ago destroying valuable military hardware. He was also responsible for placing artillery guns in close proximity to the sacred Madu Church. The Special Forces team that eliminated Thuyyawan was not the Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) team from 3SF. They were all members of 1SF, part of the overall assault team assembled against the LTTE in Madu.

Meanwhile the Sri Lanka Air Force carried out an aerial attack on an LTTE Fibre Glass Boat Manufacturing Yard south of Kilinochchi in the general area Murukandi. The boatyard was originally situated along the Mulaithivu coast but was later brought further in towards Kokavil and reestablished at Murukandi. Murukandi is famous for an ancient Kovil of Lord Ganesha, a Hindu Deity much venerated by both the Hindus and Buddhists prior to the Tamil uprising.

In another development in the political situation, the JVP has pledged support for the government's Budget, on condition that the government withdrew from the Cease-Fire Agreement singed in 2002 with the LTTE. President Mahinda Rajapakse has sought a meeting with top-ranking JVPers to discuss the issue further.