DEFENCEWIRE EXCLUSIVE STORY!!!
LTTE Suffers biggest ever defeat since the start of this war. Over 50 LTTE, including 30+ Charles Anthony Unit cadres, including the unit's Deputy Leader killed. One more team trapped. Number of LTTE killed in SF operations further north still to come.
The General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 57 Division, Major General Jagath Dias (Chula Dias), a brilliant officer and commander, made a surprise move yesterday at Vaunikulam by ordering his troops from the 57 Division and Special Forces to bypass LTTE camps and to station themselves to the rear of the enemy, thus fully confusing LTTE units prepared and waiting for a fight.With this dazzling move, LTTE units, including two teams of Charles Anthony 'Special Forces' units got caught in the Army's net in the general area south of Mallavi. By this time, SF troops and 57 Division troops that had advanced further north had stationed themselves brilliantly to receive retreating Charles Anthony unit cadres.
The retreating Tigers went straight into the 57 Division's waiting hands. One team of Charles Anthony, led by the Deputy Leader of the unit, Pullaivan, was trapped and later killed by 57 troops along with 21 others from the same unit by the evening. All 22 bodies, including that of Pullaivan, were recovered.
After this fatal blow, around 9pm yesterday, LTTE units led by Lakshman, Bhanu and Lawrence launched a rescue mission to save the trapped cadres. Fighting continued till 2am until the Tigers ran helter skelter carrying whatever remained of their cadres. This resulted in at least 30 other LTTE cadres getting killed.
Currently, one more team of Charles Anthony unit is trapped and fighting for their lives in this area. Sources told this site confidentially that this team will be annihilated within a few hours.
When the 57 and SF troops hoodwinked the Tigers and moved to its rear, they were able to capture a hoard of LTTE weapons including a 120mm canon, two 81mm mortar launchers and tubes, tractors, other vehicles etc. In this limited operation launched towards the bund of the Vavunikulam Tank, around 11 LTTE cadres, including the local area leader Anbu, were killed and bodies recovered.
The Army lost a young Lieutenant in the counter offensive and five soldiers.
