Fierce fighting erupts in three areas of Muthur East
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj
Tranquility in the war ravaged Muthur East region was shattered on Tuesday September 5th as fierce fighting erupted again in three places including Sampoor.
Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL)troops and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadres were engaged in artillery and field artillery fire intermittently for several hours.
Although the GOSL announced that it had brought Sampoor under control on Monday Sep 4th about 25% of Sampoor region and much of other areas in the Muthur East division of Trincomalee district were dominated by the LTTE.
Even as the LTTE vacated Sampoor and GOSL soldiers moved in to Sampooor town and outlying areas the tigers fired artillery at the Selvanagar camp and killed two security personnel and injured a few others.
While most of the media accepted GOSL version of Sampoor being conquered and projected an impression that the LTTE was defeated the tiger political commissar for Trincomalee , S. Elilan said that the tigers were present in Sampoor region and that the fighting had not ended.
On Tuesday Sep 6th morning at about 7. am troops from Selvanagar camp moved out but faced intense artillery fire from the LTTE . Soldiers fired back with field artillery and from battle tanks and armoured cars.
After heavy exchanges of fire the soldiers returned to base at about 8.30 am. They had suffered four deaths and thirteen injuries. The amount of LTTE casualties were not known.
After a few hours of lull artillery firing commenced again in the afternoon at Selvanagar. This continued late into the night.
Meanwhile GOSL troops also commenced two ground based drives at about 8 am from Sampoor and Pallikkudiyiruppu. Troops from Pallikkudiyoruppu tried to move into Pattalipuram from one direction.
Troops from Sampoor tried to move forwad in two directions. One formation tried to go around the coastal bend towards Ilakkanthai. The other formation thrust itself through Senaiyoor to Pattalipuram from another direction.
LTTE cadres who had supposedly vacated the region sprung a surprise when they commenced retaliatory artillery fire. Troops also fired back and returned to previous positions after a while. Both sides however engaged in sporadic artillery fire till evening.
The casualty rates of fighting in Sampoor and Pallikkudiyiruppu are not known. Fighting in these areas was restricted to artillery firing. There was no direct fighting.
The GOSL did not reveal any details about the fighting in Sampoor or Pallikkudiyiruppu or the fact that troops had tried to advance on three fronts. Officially it was stated that tigers had fired on the Selvanagar camp killing two and injuring some others.
Interestingly the GOSL troops were engaged in fighting with the tigers on three fronts including Sampoor when cabinet spokesperson on Defence Affairs Keheliya Rambukwella was stating in Colombo that there would be no war in Sampoor. “He said that there would be no more offensives and that the Government was only interested in peace.
Despite taking control of LTTE vacated Sampoor the GOSL seems determined to continue the war until more areas are captured and consolidated. The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) has called for the expulsion of the LTTE from the Eastern Province.
Though President Mahinda Rajapakse assured the four co – chairs that Sampoor was a limited operation intended to remove the security threat to Trincomalee subsequent events are proving that Colombo is on a military push in Muthur East.
The LTTE maintaining a presence in the region are resisting these advances.
Rambukwella however seems to have stated a bitter truth when he said at the press briefing that taking control of Sampoor was not a “Victory”.
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September 6th, 2006