27kms to Pooneryn

Sea Tigers withdrawing from the west coast have started crossing the Palk Strait to India, as Navy operations to cut off the movement was stepped up this week. The Tigers still operate safehouses in Tamil Nadu from where they smuggled in military supplies until recently.

The Army's advance along the A-32 seems imminent. To add to the Tiger's woes, the Navy too has started harassing Tigers, giving them no chance to regroup. The 58 Division (TF-1) of the Army has 27kms left to reach the strategic town of Pooneryn along the A-32 after having advanced 3kms from Vellankula by this evening. Pooneryn is situated 70kms north of Mannar.

By the time they reach Pooneryn, the Navy may very well have exhausted the Sea Tigers at sea. Sea Tigers, at present, can only operate between Nachchikuda upto the Kilali Lagoon. But this is highly limited and vulnerable to attack by Navy operating in the main islands of Kyts, Delft and Mandativu.

In a measure of things to come, the Navy's Special Boat Squadron made a landing on the Iranativu island on Saturday, an unmanned island north of Mannar, following several recce missions. Iranativu is situated to the northwest of Nachchikuda and was used as a mid-way point. Tigers also have a small presence at Kakativu and Irumaitivu, northeast of Iranaitivu.

More operations of this nature will be witnessed in this area in time, as the firepower and manpower of the Sea Tigers continue to dwindle, both on the ground and at sea.

This is the second offensive operation planned and executed by the SBS in three weeks. Small teams of sailors completed night-time recce missions using Combat Rubber Reconnaissance Crafts (CRRCs) prior to the attack. The SBS is trained by the amphibious assault teams of 2 Special Forces.