The race to Kilinochchi begins

Heavy fighting erupted in Akkarayankulam as the 57 Division launched a massive attack to dismantle the trenchline and bunt at Akkarayankulam today. Casualties to the LTTE is yet unknown. The line was breached from the western and eastern flanks forcing the Tigers to abandon the line and move to its center.

Troops have now bypassed the line and positioned themselves to the rear of the bund. With this lightening strike, the earth bund has lost all its significance as a defensive measure designed to delay troop movement towards Kilinochchi Town.

For the Army, the attack demonstrates a new urgency to capture Kilinochchi before the rainy season continues into November. Kokavil and Akkarayan are renowned for their susceptibility to flooding during the northwestern monsoon season. Kokavil is especially vulnerable due to its low-lying terrain. The tank at Akkarayan and the nearby ravines are also susceptible to overflowing during the monsoon. Experienced soldiers who have fought in this terrain, like Maj. Gen Chula Dias for example, should know this terrain by heart.

The 57 Division's thrust to capture Kilinochchi must and probably will go into high gear from now onwards. The Army must not get bogged down in Kokavil for the entire duration of the Monsoon. The Tigers on the other hand would want the Army's advance in these areas to be delayed as much as possible, through both military and political tactics. But the LTTE's military capabilities are crumbling as we speak.

The LTTE is now showing signs of abandoning the Nachchikuda Sea Tiger base by sea. The 58 Division surrounded the base in a U-shape after tactical maneuvers to the east and then to the west, cutting off the A32 road. Tigers had escaped towards Nochchikudah in Pooneryn on a few previous occasions already.

Sources told this site that Tigers may have withdrawn its more experienced fighters from the base already. Although exact troop strength inside the besieged base is unclear, the SLA is expecting some resistance to overrunning the base. Sri Lanka Navy's arrow boats and SBS units have been deployed to cut-off any further major escapes from Nachchikuda.

58 Division's laborious operations to dismantle the Nachchikuda-Akkarayan trench is paying rich dividends. Although weeks were spent strategizing the dismantling process, the fall of Vannerikulam was soon followed by the capture of Manniyakkulam, a Ground of Tactical Importance (GTI).

This GTI was also the access route to reinforce Nachchikuda from Kilinochchi via Kokavil. Immediately after its capture, the A32 was also cut-off by the Army. The junction at Maniyakkulam has a direct route leading to Valaipadu and the jungle areas surrounding it. These areas must be infiltrated and captured by the 58 before reaching Pooneryn.