Sri Lanka Police Special Task Force overrun Tamil Tiger child soldier training base in Amparai in the East

The elite commando unit of the Sri Lanka Police, the Special Task Force, (STF) in its twenty-first victory inside the dense jungles of Kanjikudichcha Aru successfully overran a training base of Child soldiers after some resistance from the rebels of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), on Thursday February 1.

Military spokesman said the abominable camp, named ‘Jeevananda Base’ was a military garrison, where the LTTE kidnapped and hid hundreds of Eastern Province teenagers secretly, giving them a crash military course before sending them to battle fields.

There are reports that some of the child combatants were sometimes physically abused and also rarely sexually exploited by their trainers, regardless strict moral codes had been imposed on them. Attempts to escape from the camp had been sometimes punished with death.

“Unlike in the previous occasions,” said military sources, “the STF had to confront with some resistance from the terrorists. However, after a brief confrontation the terrorists had taken to their heels leaving the camp to the STF.”

In a continued military campaign to flush out terrorists from the thick Kanjikudichchi Aru Jungle aimed to put a complete stop to the terrorist attacks on nearby Sinhala Tamil and Msulim communities and especially to put an end to the child kidnappings from the nearby Tamil communities, the commando unit has been fighting since the beginning of January, the STF said. These jungles camps contributed to violence in nearby area civilian settlements in Amparai, Thirukkovil, Akkaraipattu, and Bakmitiyawa, the sources said.

Code named Niyatha Jaya or Definite Victory, in the campaign the police commando unit was able to over run many camps with no resistance but not this one. STF sources said radio communications overheard suggested that they had suffered 16 injured LTTE cadres before they retreated inside the jungle, after a brief confrontation.

Among the abandoned military gear by the Tamil Tigers were one machine gun (GPMG), 24 hand grenades, 300 ammunitions, communication equipment and two heavy earth moving equipment.

A large stock of rice, flour, sugar and dhal was also found in their store rooms.

In the attack immediately before this two camps containing a medical center were over run by the STF in the same jungles January 29. A large number of vehicles and generators were also captured then.

The STF sources said the offensive to rid the jungles of terrorists will continue until all camps are captured and destroyed.

(http://www.asiantribune.com/index.php?q=node/4386)

Lankan war planes hit Tiger territory by PK Balachandran

The Sri Lankan Army's Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) struck deep into LTTE-held Mullaitivu district in the Wanni region of North Sri Lanka on Tuesday.

The LRRP had used claymore mines to hit a hospital ambulance and a passenger bus near Nedunkerni, but the vehicles and the passengers escaped, said Rasaiah Ilanthirayan, the military spokesman of the LTTE.

"We have launched a cordon and search operation in the area," he added.

In another incident, two civilians were killed when four or five Kfir jets of the Sri Lankan Air Force bombed a civilian settlement at Parasankulam, near Puliankulam in the Wanni on Tuesday, Ilanthirayan said.

Siginificance of LRRP strike

What is particularly significant about the LRRP's strike is that Tiger chieftain Prabhakaran's hideout is believed to be somewhere in Mullaitivu district.

The deep penetration unit's attack had come in the wake of an artillery strike by the LTTE against the headquarters of an army regiment at Kodigamam in Jaffna district last Wednesday.

The founder-commandant of the new and elite mechanised infantry unit, Lt Col Ralph Nugera, was among a few other officers injured in the attack .One soldier had died.

Tuesday's LRRP strike had also taken place when preparations were on for a massive military campaign to rid the northern districts of the LTTE.

Bid to infiltrate navy camp near Colombo

A suspected LTTE cadre was shot dead as he tried to infiltrate theVijaya naval camp in Kalpitya, north of Colombo on Tuesday, the Media Centre for National Security said.

(http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1933012,001302310000.htm)

Hospital vehicle, passenger bus escape DPU attacks in Vanni

A van belonging to Nedunkerni hospital narrowly escaped from a Claymore explosion, triggered by Sri Lanka Army deep penetration unit ambushmen at Manavalanpaddamurippu village, 32 km southwest of Mullaithivu town around 7:15 a.m. Tuesday. An hour later, a civilian vehicle on Nedunkeni Periyakulam route narrowly escaped from another Claymore mine, according to Tamileelam Police officials.

Manavalanpaddamurippu is located in Oddusuddan DS division.

Nine persons including the driver were in the The Hiace van, travelling from Nedunkerny to Puthukudirippu.

The Claymore attack was triggered at the same place at Nedunkerny where in August 2006, five persons including the doctor were killed in a similar attack on the Nedunkerny hospital ambulance by the SLA deep penetration unit.

Residents of Pulliyankulam and Nedunkerny areas in Vavuniya district are moving in fear out of their villages.

(www.tamilnet.com)