Army suffers worst defeat in four years at Muhamalai

A major military action in the battlefields of Muhamalai by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) last Wednesday morning turned out to be its worst reversal during the four-year ceasefire.

An assault on LTTE positions turned into a disaster, with at least 130 soldiers killed and around 515 injured, over 280 of them seriously. Main Battle Tanks, Armoured Personnel Carriers and other military hardware were also lost in the battle.

The high intensity battle resulted in the loss of six Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFVs)-four Czechoslovakian built T55s and two Russian built BMPs, reported The Island. Two of them are believed to have been disabled by ‘monster’ anti-tank mines. One is believed to have fallen into a ditch while two are believed to have been hit by heavy fire.

Three frontline battalions, involved in the frontal assault, suffered heavy losses.

“Action against the LTTE was carried out by the Army's 53 Division which has been placed in a reserve role in the Jaffna peninsula,” reported the Sunday Times’ Situation Report. “That was made up of the Air Mobile Brigade and 533 Infantry Brigade. They were supported by men of the 55 Division that has been tasked for a holding role.”

The fighting lasted about five hours and the government troops stalled the advance into the LTTE-held part of the peninsula because the level of resistance was greater than they anticipated, the Defence Ministry said.

"Troops are consolidating their positions after fierce gun battles that lasted for over five hours. Intermittent fighting however still rages on," it said.

As in the case of other government offensives in Sri Lanka’s north and east over the past three months, the military claimed that its actions were purely defensive.

The Media Centre for National Security said security forces retaliated after it came to light that there was a major LTTE build up just outside their forward defence lines (FDL) that straddle the one-time Entry-Exit point at Muhamalai.

Defence Ministry spokesman Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe said the operation was intended to neutralize a Tiger build-up near the front line on the Jaffna peninsula.

"There were attempts to infiltrate our defence lines in three places and we took counter-measures," Brigadier Samarasinghe told AFP. "They had been firing artillery at our positions in the past few days and last night we noticed a build-up."

The military said its ground offensive, supported by warplanes, was a "defensive act" as a result of Tamil Tiger attacks. Naval gun ships were deployed to prevent the LTTE sending reinforcements by sea to the peninsula, it said.

Brigadier Samarasinghe told the media that the army had successfully driven back a massive LTTE attack and killed hundreds of its fighters. His initial death toll for government forces was just 22 with more than 110 soldiers injured.

However, the Liberation Tigers accused the SLA of launching a major offensive and had complained earlier about such action.

The Liberation Tigers Peace Secretariat had sent an urgent communiqué to the Head of the Sri Lankan Monitoring Mission (SLMM) on Saturday, informing him of Sri Lanka's military build-up and urging the monitors to take immediate steps to visit the Muhamalai FDL and confirm Sri Lanka's preparations for the offensive.

The LTTE's Political Head told TamilNet that the LTTE is concerned about the SLMM's limited access to Muhamalai. Unhindered access is vital for a fair and neutral judgement on the SLA offensive that will likely lead to a full-scale war, Mr. S. P. Tamilselvan said.

"We want to ensure that we are not blamed for the out break of war as consequence to any Sri Lankan offensive," Tamilselvan said. "We have reliable military intelligence that suggests Sri Lanka military is in full preparation to launch offensive operations into our territory," he said.

The Sri Lankan military had on Sunday denied the LTTE claim. Samarasinghe denied that a major offensive was being planned. "We will retaliate only when we are attacked" he said.

LTTE Military Spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan told media that on Wednesday, that SLA troopers who broke through LTTE FDL positions in Kilali and Muhamalai were defeated, leaving around 75 dead bodies of Sri Lankan soldiers inside the LTTE territory in Kilali. A soldier was captured alive by the Tigers, he said.

Six LTTE fighters and four members of LTTE's auxilliary forces were killed in action, he said.

"The SLA offensive inside the LTTE territory disregards the expectations of International Community, and brushes aside Co-Chairs's call to cease violence and engage in talks," Mr. Ilanthirayan said.

The security forces denied crossing into LTTE territory, but blocked truce monitors from inspecting the area.

"The battle happened in no-man's land, between our forward defence lines and theirs," said Samarasinghe. "They don't have 75 bodies."

"Some people are missing -- about 25-30 troops. They must be having those bodies."

However, Samarasinghe’s story quickly fell to pieces. By Thursday evening, the spokesman admitted that the bodies of 55 solders had been recovered, another 78 were missing and 283 had been wounded. The new figures tallied more closely with the LTTE’s claims to have defeated a major army offensive and killed more than 200 troops.

Samarasinghe also acknowledged that the LTTE handing over the bodies of 75 soldiers via the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC). He did not explain the obvious: why was the LTTE handing back bodies from its territory if the military had engaged in a “defensive” operation?

The SLMM, which oversees the 2002 ceasefire agreement, commented to the press: “If the Tigers’ have recovered 75 dead troops, that would suggest the army had been mounting a fresh offensive inside rebel areas, despite the rebels’ warnings.”

The LTTE also captured an 18-year-old soldier, Samantha Veerasingha. The ICRC said they had visited the wounded soldier, who is in a hospital.

According to eyewitnesses in Mirusuvil, Thenmaradchi, 20 civilian buses were engaged in rushing SLA casualties from Muhamalai and Kilali northwards.

Ambulances in Colombo made 40 trips carrying unknown number of wounded soldiers to Colombo Hospital from Ratmalana Airport to which the SLA troopers were air-lifted from the north

Following the handover of 74 bodies to the ICRC, the Liberation Tigers also displayed the weapons they had captured.

"We have handed over the dead. We have also recovered a large amount of weapons, including 98 semiautomatic rifles and a light anti-tank weapon," said Tiger military spokesman Rasiah Ilanthiraiyan.

"This is very good. As usual, we will take these weapons and use them against the military to fight for the freedom of our homeland."

SLA forces and the LTTE exchanged artillery and mortar fire on Thursday and Friday. The LTTE fired artillery and mortars across the defense line in Muhamalai overnight, wounding four soldiers, said an officer at the Media Centre for National Security, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with policy.

He said there was continuing sporadic artillery fire from both sides along the defense line.

For all the public propaganda, the mood in the military establishment was sombre.

The AFP news agency quoted a top defence source as saying: “There is no doubt that the army suffered a bloody nose.... It was a big mistake.”

Another report cited high-ranking military sources who said the army was forced to abandon its offensive after striking fierce resistance.

Immediately following the attack, President Mahinda Rajapaksa set in motion a number of measures to ensure the final rites of the deceased and the urgent needs of the next of kin are provided with State assistance.

The President was also to write individually to every bereaved family “appreciating the contribution made by each officer and soldier in protecting Sri Lanka’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”, reported The Island newspaper.

A further indication of government concern was an AFP report indicating that President Rajapakse had directed “ministers to all the hospitals to attend to the needs of the soldiers”.

Analysts speculate that the army launched this week’s failed operation in a bid to retake Elephant Pass.

In 2000, the military suffered a serious blow when the LTTE seized the army’s base at Elephant Pass for the first time in the country’s protracted civil war. The base was a key strategic entry point to the peninsula and its capture allowed LTTE fighters to rapidly advance toward Jaffna town and major military bases on the north of the peninsula.