After these areas were captured the LTTE now controls only about 800 sq kilometres area in the northern mainland known as the Wanni.

According to intelligence, out of about 800 square kilometers , the Tigers are now preparing an inner 300 square kilometer defensive fortification behind Iranamadu, Kalmadu, Viswamadu and Muttyankaddu tanks, and also covering Oddusudan North, Mulliyawalai north and stretching to Mulaitivu coast.

The estimated 200,000 trapped civilians too, come within this new fortification as a defensive shield.

As the end of the year neared so did the intensification of security Forces operations, and despite some of the bloodiest fighting they are continuing to make gains.

Brig. Nandana Udawatte led 59 Division made two important gains when they entered Mulliyawalai and Thaniootru u regions by Christmas Day. This resulted in day long fighting and exchange of artillery and mortar fire from morning till evening.

In the history of this conflict, this was also the first time these two towns in the Mulaitivu District have come under the dominance of the Army. The biggest LTTE war cemetery is also situated at Mulliyawalai, and it is at this war memorial that Tiger Leader Velupillai Prabhakran had his annual Maveerar Day ceremonies during the ceasefire period.

Lt. Col. Chaminda Lamahewa led Seventh Gemunu Regiment, fought their way to both towns. On the way they had to overcome three defensive bunds . They were ably supported on a flank by 15th Infantry Regiment led by Maj. Sujeewa Hettiarachchi. It was the same 15th Infantry that first fought its way to A-34 Mulaitivu - Mankulam route from among the units of the 59 Division.

Lt. Col. Keerthi Bandara led First Sinha Regiment, which advanced along an axis south of A-34 also linked up with Seventh Gemunu.

With the Army domination of Thaniootru , it is now only a matter of time before the much venerated Wattappalai Kovil situated in the region, where even Prabhakaran is known to worship, comes under the Security Forces.

The LTTE first made its air wing public by dropping flowers over this Kovil from a helicopter during a festival.

From Mulliyawalai everything points to the 59 Division next training its guns on the biggest target in the region, the Sea Tiger main training area, the Nandikadal lagoon It was in this lagoon in July last year that Sea Tiger Leader Soosai was watching a training exercise with his five year old son, when an explosion killed the boy and his body guard. The blast also injured the Sea Tiger leader.

Maj. Gen Jagath Dias commanded 57 Division this week once again resumed assaults on the Tiger defence bund on the approaches to Kilinochchi. By Friday it began pounding the entire 12 kilometre stretch of the bund. Only about four kilometers remained on this bund that had still not been over run. In the eight kilometers or so it had overrun, troops were busy clearing mines fields, booby trapped buildings etc. After that they have yet another enemy defence line to surmount within the town limits.

Ninth Gajaba, Fourth Sinha and Ninth Wijayaba Regiments belonging to 57-1 and 57-2 Brigades broke through the bund once again this week and resumed their advance. In the previous week’s Tuesday amidst heavy rains they broke through many places in this defensive bund, but had to fall back later under heavy enemy fire, especially mortar and artillery attacks.

Special Forces veteran and Lt. Col. Harendra Ranasinghe who just assumed command of 57-1 Brigade, resumed the fight back last Sunday at 5:35 am. The Ninth Gajaba and Fourth Sinha together smashed through two kilometer stretch of the bund containing 44 bunkers. The fighting for these troops raged non stop till 6:30 pm on Christmas day. They were supported by MI-24 helicopter gunships and artillery fire.

Similarly 57-2 Brigade under the command of Lt. Col. Dhammika Jayasundera overran about 1.5 kilometre stretch of the bund.

Troops of the 57-4 Brigade under the command of Lt. Col. Senaka Wijesuriya, who successfully captured the stretch of the bund between Iranamadu tank and the Iranamadu Road last week using smart tactics, were at the receiving end of some fierce assaults on their positions this week due to Tiger fears that they would rush Kilinochchi town from the south.

Using about 400 cadres broken into 18 teams, they launched assault after assault on the positions of the troops of the 57-4 Brigade on Monday from 6:15 am to 1:00 pm, backed by a non stop rain of artillery and mortar fire. Tigers even said to have fired from a captured battle tank from a previous Eelam war, and also provided back up fire to their assault cadres from seven boats stationed in the reservoir. These Tiger units were commanded by their frontline commanders Swarnam, Theepan, and Lawrence.

Maj. Samantha Wickramasena led Tenth Infantry and Lt. Col. Ipshitha Dissanayake commanded Eighth Infantry faced the brunt of these assaults. As pinpoint enemy mortar and artillery fire became too intense, these two regiments were forced to fall back.

In this fight two of the best young officers Capt. Mahesh Kumara Narangoda and Capt. Tharanga Thelis, who have successfully taken part in many other frontline operations sacrificed their lives along with 13 other brave men.

Capt. Narangoda had bravely led his men till the very end in Monday’s battle, while Capt Thelis had played a leading role in the capture of the same bund in the previous week.

With Saturday’s fall of strategically located Mulliyawalai on the eastern flank, the offensive directed at Mullaitivu town on the north-eastern coast has reached the final stage.

The infantry secured the town after a series of bloody battles over one and half days after receiving a setback on the Kilinochchi front.

Although the government has repeatedly dismissed opposition claims of exploitation of battle-field victories for political advantage, the Rajapaksa administration was expecting a major victory ahead of the forthcoming PC polls for Wayamba and Central Provinces, political sources said.

The government was of the opinion that it could offset any damage caused by its refusal to pass on the benefit of cheap petrol as directed by the Supreme Court to the masses by scoring a significant battle-field victory, the sources said.

A senior army officer directing operations on the Vanni front said that that the fall of Mulliyawalai and Tanniyootru also on the Mankulam-Mullaitivu A 34 road would make Mullaitivu vulnerable.

Large groups of people are believed to have abandoned Mullaitivu fearing a heavy attack on the town.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, he said that fighting elements of 59 Division were now closing in on Nanthikadal lagoon and the liberation of the town which the army lost in July 1996 to the LTTE would be a reality soon.

The LTTE killed over 1,400 officers and men in a devastating assault on Mullaitivu garrisoned by an Army Brigade.

The army yesterday called in air support to neutralize a heavy LTTE concentration about five kilometres south of Mullaitivu. Mi 24 helicopter gunships zeroed-in-on the group at 8.45 a.m. along the Alampil-Mullaitivu road stretch causing damage to the enemy.

The army had confirmed a successful rocket attack on a tractor load of LTTE cadres by Mi 24s.

Responding to questions, the senior officer said that the army took advantage of heavy commitment of LTTE assets to defend Iranamadu-Kilinocchi-Paranthan stretch of the A9 to swiftly advance on Mullaitivu.

The bottom line was that ferocious Tiger resistance on the Kilinochchi front had been at the expense of Mullaitivu, he explained. By the time the Tigers realized that the army had taken advantage of the situation, 59 Division had reached the outskirts of Mullaitivu.

Realizing their mistake, the LTTE had strengthened the Mullaitivu defences, he said, acknowledging that troops had experienced what he called ``an increased level of resistance.’’

``Now they have realized that both Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu were equally vulnerable and couldn’t be defended,’’ the official said.

He declined to comment on the perception among a section of the armed forces that Mullaitivu could fall ahead of Kilinochchi. He offered no estimate the LTTE strength on the Vanni front or discuss a time frame for the collapse of remaining bases.

He was confident that whatever the LTTE did, they will not be able to alter the ground situation.

According to him, the deployment of Task Force I (TF I), 57 west of A9 and south of Iranamadu and TF II, TF III and TF IV and 59 Division east of the A9 had essentially made one Vanni front against the LTTE.

"We never had a similar situation before," he said, adding that this had facilitated the swift movement of armour, artillery and other supplies from one theatre to another.

The official speculated that the LTTE would have to decide on its strategy on the Jaffna front where it had a sizeable force to thwart an advance by 53 and 55 Divisions across the neck of the Jaffna peninsula towards Elephant Pass.

(Compiled from newspaper articles and reports)