Top tigers leaving Madhu

571 at Keerisuddan on Iranai-iluppaikulam/Kallikulam-Palampiddi road, 571 also on Palampiddi-Madhu road, 572 south of Madhu ahead of Sinnapandivirichchan, 581 West and East of Giant's Tank

The LTTE, as is customary to them, has commenced a gradual withdrawal from the Our Lady of the Rosary Church at Madhu as troops surround the area. Military sources indicated the withdrawal has commenced before Army completes encircling of Madhu.

Senior cadres from Jeyam and below have all abandoned the area. Large trenches, trappings and small groups of Tigers still remain. Troops have cutoff the main supply routes to Madhu but some possible escape routes still remain through the Madhu Sanctuary jungle.

The Army says it will not be enticed to change its pace and make a sudden dash to capture the Church. They will not risk the lives of its troops unnecessarily. However, field commanders told DefenceWire that the church will probably be captured, for the second time since 1999, by the Sinhala and Tamil New Year celebrations begin.

The last 'Colonel' to remain in Madhu was Jeyam, who is the pioneer of the LTTE's 'Deep Penetration Forces'. A former loyal of slain LTTE leader Gopalaswamy Mahendrarajah alias Mahattaya, Jeyam was apprehended and tortured by the LTTE in 1994 and was found innocent of all charges.

He was then released on condition that he performed an exceptional military feat (at least from LTTE's standpoint), which he did by giving birth to the LTTE's 'Deep Penetration Unit'. Although this unit is less sophisticated than the Special Forces' LRRP, it has taken part in many attacks like the one on the Anuradhapura Airbase. The Jeyanthan Regiment units inside Yala, Peraru and Weli Oya are also from this unit.

More Special Forces join the fray

The few, the proud, the SLA Special Forces

True to their motto Determined, Dared and Done (Adhishtanayen, Abheethawa, Aramuna kara), the largest batch of the Sri Lanka Army's Special Forces Brigade passed out in flying colours at the Maduru Oya Special Forces Training School. A total of 309 officers and men passed out from the school at a quiet function attended by family and friends of the trainees.

The men were part of a course intake of around 600 hand selected fresh recruits into the Army. Around half of the intake were unable to complete the grueling training which involves a physical conditioning program, compass march, confidence jump, armed and unarmed combat, survival, marksmanship, camouflage and concealment etc.

The new recruits will be enlisted to 1,2 and 3 Special Forces Regiments in due course, where they will further specialise in various chosen fields, some will even receive foreign training. Another batch of around 300 Special Forces are to pass out in August-September of this year.

Meanwhile the Maduru Oya Combat Training School (two schools) is also training around 600 Sri Lanka Air Force ground troops following inadequacies in training highlighted in Katunayake and Anuradhapura airbase attacks. These recruits are also expected to graduate very soon.

The CTS and the Uva Kuda Oya CRTS recently trained a contingent of the Maldivian Security Forces. The Maduru Oya CTS was also home to a US Marines training program.