Sri Lankan national flags flew from buildings and lamp posts and posters covered walls in the capital Colombo and across the south of the island as part of week-long celebrations ordered by the government of President Mahinda Rajapakse to mark the capture of Pooneryn in the north.
''The nation salutes our brave soldiers who once again linked north and south by their victory at Pooneryn," read a poster with silhouetted images of soldiers.
Troops gained control of Pooneryn, a strategic town located on the northern Jaffna peninsula, after a lapse of 15 years on November 15.
The capture of Pooneryn was followed by that of road junction at Maankulam and then, after a bloody battle, of part of the LTTE’s northernmost defence line in the Jaffna peninsula, at Muhamaalai.
The victories have wrapped much of the south in a shroud of euphoria with Radio shows inundated by listeners calling in with congratulatory messages and people lighting fire crackers in the streets.
Land route to Jaffna.
In a special broadcast President Mahinda Rajapakse announced on national television that troops had seized the Tiger-held town of Pooneryn for the first time in 15 years.
The latest military successes allow government troops to open a supply route to Jaffna and other areas in the north for the first time in almost a decade. "Now, we can open a land route to the Jaffna peninsula after many years," the President said referring to the A-32 highway from Manaar to Pooneryn.
Sri Lankan military chiefs tout the capturing of Pooneryn as “turning-point” in the 25-year war bringing the entire western coast under military control and opening up a land route for the transport of troops and supplies to Jaffna peninsula that for years have been sent by sea or air.
However, analysts point out that Pooneryn is more a symbolic victory than a strategic victory as the as the A32 is less use as a supply route at present than the government rhetoric suggests.
The A-32 running between Manaar and Pooneryn is more a wide muddy track than a 'highway' and needs to be rebuilt before being used as a Main Supply Route (MSR) for military purposes.
Furthermore the causeway connecting Sangupiddy in Vanni to Keratheevu in Jaffna peninsula collapsed many years ago requiring the Sri Lankan military to operate a ferry service to transport men and material between Vanni and Jaffna, the analysts further added.
Lay down arms.
In his televised speech, Mr Rajapakse called on Velupillai Pirapaharan, the Tigers’ leader, to “lay down your arms and come to the negotiation table”.
Commenting on Rajapkase’s call to lay down the arms, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) member of parliamentarian Senadhiraja Jeyanandamurthi told The Morning Leader newspaper that the security of the Tamils will be under threat if the Tigers disarm.
“The LTTE will come for talks. But, it will not lay down its arms before coming to the negotiating table. The security of the Tamil people will be in question if the LTTE does that. We have seen it in the past as well,” said Jeyanandamurthi.
“Even during the Indo-Lanka Peace Accord, the LTTE was asked to lay down its weapons. It was very difficult for the Tigers when fighting resumed. That mistake will not be made again,” the TNA Parliamentarian added.
Kilinochchi elusive
Jeyanandamurthi who returned from Vanni recently also told the Morning Leader that LTTE leader Velupillai Pirapaharan had informed him that the that though the security forces had advanced into areas near Kilinochchi, they will not be able to capture Kilinochchi and the LTTE will give a devastating blow to the government, militarily within the next three months.
Despite territorial gains in recent weeks, Kilinochchi, the Tigers’ administrative headquarters, remains a difficult target. Soldiers have been skirting its fringes for weeks, held back by strong resistance and, at one time, heavy monsoon rains.
The army’s spokesman, Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara, admits it has been taking casualties, but insists it is “on target” to take the town.
