Mop up operations in progress in Pooneryn salient; Air Force comes to troops assistance

Task Force 1 troops having liberated Poonaryn are now engaged in mop-up operations in the Poonaryn salient, Defence sources in the filed reveal. Troops are now clearing their way towards Kalmunai Point (K-Point) along the 20 Km long narrow land stretch where the LTTE terrorists used to stationed their artillery and mortar batteries.

Meanwhile , Sri Lanka Air Force has lunched a series of air strikes in support of ground troops in the Muhamalai area. Air Force spokesperson Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara told defence.lk that MI-24 helicopters and fighter jets have engaged LTTE artillery and mortar positions in the area since 6.30 to 9.45 this morning (Nov 15).

Army Chief , Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka describing the victory to state media said that the whole stretch of A-32 road from Mannar to Poonaryn has been liberated after 20 years. He said that troops of Task Force 1 and 57 Division have cutoff the Poonaryn- Paranthan road (B-69) yesterday and marched for about 8 Km down the road to Pooneryn junction .

“Then we advanced further and captured Sangupiddy ferry that connects the road to Thanankiluppu in Jaffna”, now the army has dominated the whole west coast”, he said.

Speaking further, he said that it is the  first time after 20 years that the Army has opened a land route to Jaffna.

“We have eliminated large number of terrorists during this battle, remaining terrorists are now running for their lives across the Kilali lagoon”, he said.

In addition, he said that troops of 57 Division and Task Force 1 have already started marching eastward towards A-9 road.

“At present, our forces have positioned themselves about 10 Km west of Paranthan on the A-9 road”, he said.

Poonaryn remains a hallmark of the undying courage of Sri Lanka Army soldiers as they withstood frenetic attack by the terrorists at the isolated camp in 1993. Army handed over their positions in the area to IPKF in 1987 and regained them in 1992 in Operations Valampuri 1 and 2. On 11 November 1993 , LTTE made an attempt to capture the Poonaryn camp but failed before the courage of Army soldiers. The incident was excessively misinterpreted as a great debacle by media with exaggerated army death and casualty figures.  In mid 1996 , the camp was vacated  by the Army as a tactical measure .

Courtesy: Ministry of Defence

Troops Capture Pooneryn – President Rajapaksa

LTTE loses last naval bastion in the western coast

President Mahinda Rajapaksa after being official informed by Commander of the Army, Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka announced the capturing of Pooneryn ending 20 years LTTE tyranny in the area enabling the Security Forces to open a land supply route to the Jaffna Peninsula.

Pooneryn Terrorist Bastion falls : Army Task Force 1 -Task accomplished

Troops of Army Task Force 1 have entered LTTE bastion at Ponneryn this morning (Nov 15) scoring the greatest feat against terrorist in their courageous march along the northwestern coast of the Island.

Infantrymen of 12 Gamunu Watch (12 GW) and 10 Gajaba Regiment (10 GR) successfully negotiated the great marshlands south of Pooneryn last night , and cut off the Pooneryn- Paranthan road (B-69) close to Nallur before dawn today. Troops then marched about 10 Km along the B-69 and entered into the Pooneryn town , where the terrorists have their last bastion on the West coast.

According to the defence sources at the field terrorists have given a stiff resistance to the advancing troops . Pitched battles are still going in the area, the sources said. The terrorists are fast withdrawing towards the K- Point.

Courtesy: Ministry of Defence

Army 57 Div maneuvering to Kilinochchi

A field commander issuing orders to the troops in front - Akkarayankulam (07 Nov)

The Army 57 division , operating on the main axis of the Wanni theatre of operations are now successfully maneuvering towards the Kilinochchi town, the administrative hub of the LTTE terrorists, say the defence sources.

Daylong clashes were reported yesterday (Nov 13) as troops of 571 and 572 brigades marched further northwards destroying LTTE positions along the western boundary of the Kilinochchi built-up.

Troops had a series of confrontations with the terrorists in the South Pudimurippukulam area, about 6 Km North of Akkarayankualm tank bund . Intercepted LTTE radio transmissions confirmed heavy damages to the terrorists. Troops found one body of an LTTE cadre and 3 T-56 riffles during subsequent search operations.

Meanwhile , the foremost fighting elements 571 brigade attacked a group of terrorists in the Adampan area , 9 Km north of Akkarayankulam tank bund in the evening hours. Intercepted LTTE radio transmissions confirmed severe damages to the terrorists. Also, troops of 574 brigade operating on the eastern flank of the Kilinochchi front engaged terrorists in the Mankulam area at several occasions during daytime.

Meanwhile , intercepted LTTE radio transmissions revealed that senior LTTE leader called “Lieutenant Colonel Kali Arasan” was killed in clashes on Wednesday (Nov 12)

Courtesy: Ministry of Defence

Task Force 1 nearing Task Accomplished; terrorists fast loosing the battle of Pooneryn

The Army Task Force 1 (TF 1) is making a rapid progress in the Western Kilinochchi battlefront in terms of both ground gains and attrition caused to enemy, reveal the battlefield sources.

Troops completed mop up operations in the strategically located Devils Point area yesterday (Nov 13) and declared the area fully liberated. With this achievement prominent Sea Tiger strongholds at Kiranchi, Vallaipadu and Palavi fell to the Army. Troops having outflanked the terrorists in the Devil’s Point, cramped them into the triangular shaped projection of the mainland to the sea during last few days.

Meanwhile, the main thrust of the TF 1 directed at the Pooneryn LTTE bastion has successfully negotiated the marshlands of Pooneryn and positioned itself just 500 m behind the Pooneryn- Paranathan road (B-69) at an undisclosed location.

According to the battlefield reports, heavy clashes have occurred on the south of Malapukualm in the Nallur area last evening. Troops following the clashes found 3 bodies of slain LTTE cadres, one T-56 riffle, 4 hand grenades, one radio communication set and 2 pouches.

In the South Nivil area troops battled the terrorist during the daytime and found one T-56 riffle , one radio communication set and one hand grenade. Troops claimed heavy damages to the terrorists during the clashes. Also, a similar confrontation was reported from the Putuaddamoddai area around 6.10 PM.

In the Chempankundu area troops found a T-56 riffle, a radio communication set, and a hand grenade following a confrontation occurred in the morning hours.

The TF 1 was raised early this year to liberated the northwestern coast of the Island that runs from Mannar to Pooneryn. Accomplishment of this mission will deny the terrorist use of sea lines of communication across the Palk Strait and open a land route to the Jaffna Peninsula from the southern mainland. At present, the TF1 keeps its forward boundaries just 7 km behind Pooneryn.

Courtesy: Ministry of Defence