transcurrents

Who Among the 21 Tigers Got Out Alive From Anuradhapura?

November 3rd, 2007

By D.B.S. Jeyaraj

Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) supremo Velupillai Prabakharan has bestowed military honours to some of his cadres who were involved in the attack on the Saliyapura Air Force Base. Apparently four different types of awards were distributed at a ceremony held in an undisclosed location of the Wanni on Thursday November 1st .

According to LTTE websites the four categories were:

-Thamizheezha Ma’ramaa’ni Viruthu (The Bachelor of Valour Award of Tamil Eelam) for individual performance in warfare.

-Thamizheezha Ma’ravar Viruthu (The Heroes Award of Tamil Eelam) for group performance in warfare.

-Thamilzheezha O’lignaayi’ru Viruthu (The Bright Sun Award of Tamil Eelam) for individual extraordinary performance in a particular field in warfare.

-Neelap Puli Viruthu (The Blue Tiger Award) bestowed on airmen for five consecutive and successful flight operations of attack against Sri Lankan armed forces and bases.

Along those given awards were members of the reconnaissance and intelligence teams who coordinated the logistics of “Operation Ellalan”. (Elara) and those who were involved in training and planning. Several LTTE cadres involved in the logistics of Operation Ellalan had gone to Anuradhapura at the time of the attack and returned. They were all decorated.

The pilots involved in five bombing expeditions were also honoured. Some of the honours s were awarded posthumously to those killed in the Anuradhapura attack..

According to informed LTTE sources the “star” attraction among the recipients was the solitary survivor from the 21 member black tiger squad that launched the attack on the airbase. Though all were thought dead it appears that one man has managed to get out of the Air base and make it back to the Wanni.

The authorities in Anuradhapura recovered only twenty bodies from the Saliyapura base. It was first thought that one of the bodies had been totally destroyed in an explosion. But that assumption apparently and one tiger has got out of the lion’s den.

Speculation is rife among Tamil circles that the tiger who got away was Major. Mathivathanan who was promoted as Lt. Col. Mathivathanan whose real name is B. Thayalaseelan is a native of Velanai in the Kayts electorate. The LTTE released a list of 21 names of those who were killed in the Anuradhapura operation along with their new ranks.

In that Mathivathanan was cited as a major. Subsequently the LTTE announced that Mathivathanan had been poromoted as Lt. Colonel for his military services. Many assumed then (including this writer) that it was a posthumous honour. There were reports that Mathivathanan was killed at about 9 am on the 22nd and that LTTE commuications was disrupted thereafter.

Informed Tamil sources now say that Mathivathanan had got away alive. He was promoted for that escape and had been also given the bright sun decoration. Many of the fallen tigers were also honoured posthumously on the basis of information supplied by Mathivathanan it is said. This information is yet to be confirmed officially by the LTTE

One of the stories humming on the Tamil grapevine is about a remark made in lighter vein by Prabakharan on the eve of the A.pura attack. Prabakharan had cancelled his usual appointments and “meditated” alone on October 21st evening. Around midnight the tiger supremo had summoned some of his senior deputies and remarked “Ungalukku Naan Ellaalanai Kaattap Pogiren” (I am going to show Ellalan (Elara) to you all now”. Thereafter he had told them about the unfolding operation.

The field commander R. Pajeerathan alias Illango had been in touch with the LTTE leader constantly. At 3. 20 am he had said that the attack was about to commence.Illango had been in the movement since 1995. He had held many positions in the LTTE including pistol shooting trainer, basic training camp administrator, special intelligence operative, special forces commando , anti – tank squad leader and also as bodyguard to Prabakharan.He had been persistently volunteering for black tiger status for ten years.

Illango’s greatest military achievement prior to the A ‘pura attack had been at Ithavil during the Elephant pass operation. LTTE cadres brought by sea had landed at Vadamaratchy east and moved inland. They had penetrated Ithavil along the A – 9 highway at interdicted military movement along the road to Elephant pass/Iyakkachchi. The security forces were fifhting hard to drive the tigers away and clear the road so that supplies could reach beleagured troops at Elephant pass. The use of tanks and armoured cars placed the LTTE at a disadvantage.

It was then that the Victor anti – tank unit named after former Mannar LTTE commander got into action. Two armoured cars were hit y Light anti Tank weapons. At one stage Illango is said to have jumped on top of a Buffel tank and shot dead the gunner. Illango had then supposedly turned the tank ’s weapons on the security forces. This act helped turn the tide of war it is said.

Illango sustained injuries at about 5. 30 am on his waist and thigh. Bones were broken. Though rendered immobile He had continued to direct his fighters and also use a firearm from a stationary position. The veteran of 14 major battles , bled profusely and died at 8. 30 am.

Illango’s deputy commander was K. Pratheepan alias Veeman.. He was from Thiriyai in Trincomalee but his family driven away by security forces years ago had moved to puthukkudiyiruppu in the Wanni. Veeman had joined the lTTE as a kid and receuved basic education in a military school. He had then received arms training and functioned for long as one of Prabakharan’s bodyguards. He had then become a special force commando. Veeman was always in charge of Anton Balasingham’s security whenever the former LTTE political adviser came to Sri Lanka from London.

It is said that Veeman had destroyed a Russian built mil Mi 17 and a mil Mi 24 helicopters parked outside the hangar during the attack. He had then been wounded in the arms and legs. Despite bleeding from these injuries Veeman had also fired Rocket Propelled grenades from a launcher at two Israeli IAI “Scout”Unmanned aetial vehicles and demolished them. Lt. Col Veeman died from injuries at about 9. 30 am.

Another cadre who received honours was a tigress from Jaffna district K. Keethanjali alias Capt. Eezhapriya. Once the LTTE seized the anti – aircraft guns given by India that battery was taken over by her. Eezhapriya then turned the anti – aircraft battery on to various parts of the base and fired at ground based altitude. It is said that these guns wrought havoc.

Another woman fighter who distinguished herself was S. Uthaya alias Capt. Arivumalar from Jaffna. She led a team into the hangar and began demolishing aircraft. This team had clandestinely moved about 300 metres across the runway without being detected.The destroyed aircraft were set ablaze too. The destruction of eight aircraft was done by her team.

For a brief period of time the red and yellow tiger flag had fluttered at Saliyapura. It is said that the tiger flag described as the Tamil Eelam flag had been hoisted on top of the Air control tower and an elevated watchtower for a while. The cadre who raised the flag was T. Kalairaj alias Major Ilampuli from Jaffna. Ilampuli was the clown of the squad and made his colleagues laugh through his jokes. He had brought both flags to A ‘pura after getting special permission from Prabakharan.

Releasing the names and pictures of black tigers and bestowing special honours is a new phenomenon for the LTTE. No longer are the “karumpuligal” going to be kept under wraps without receiving public kudos. It appears that Prabakharan has decided to honour his greatest military assets boldly, openly and defiantly.

If Thursday ended on a high note for Prabakharan and the tigers the following morning saw tragedy strike. Aerial bombardment by the Sri Lankan airforce saw LTTE political Commissar Suppiah Paramu Thamilselvan and five others being killed. Thamilselvan was posthumously made Brigadier. The be- spectacled Thamilselvan has been political commissar from 1994. His loss will be felt keenly by Prabakharan.

DBS Jeyaraj can be contacted on: djeyaraj@federalidea.com

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