By Rukshana Rizwie
The LTTE carried out its first air suicide attack late last Friday targeting VVIPs but failed as the air defence system detected the illegal planes attempting to make a landing wreaking havoc in the city. The planes crashed as a result of the anti aircraft gun fire.
‘Col’. Roopan and ‘Lt. Col.’ Siriththiran, two experienced LTTE Black Air Tigers were seen posing gleefully for photographs with their supremo LTTE Leader Velupillai Prabhakaran before embarking on what would be their last mission.
The photographs signify the responsibility endowed on the ‘troops’ to complete the first ever Air Tiger suicide mission in Colombo. Both the Tamileelam Air Force (TAF) pilots are said to have been rewarded with Blue Tiger awards for carrying out 
successful air raids in the past.
Laden with explosives
In this instance however it proved to be drastically different. Both pilots ‘Col. ‘ Roopan and ‘Lt. Col.’ Siriththiran boarded the two Zlin Z-143 Czech four seat light aircraft by mid day in Puthukkudiyirippu. The low winged monoplanes are mainly used for training or touring due to their design and structure. These two aircraft however were laden with explosives and ammunition for the sole purpose of fulfilling a suicide mission.
Despite being restricted to 87 square kilometres within the enclave of Mullaitivu, both aircraft according to military sources had used a narrow strip of road to take off from Puthukkudiyirippu. The LTTE according to defence sources, have no airstrips and for the two Zlin 143’s, a strip of road proved sufficient.
The Zlin Z 143 aircraft are known to be used for military purposes only by the LTTE. It is said that the single engine four-seater is often modified to carry four bombs mounted on its undercarriage. Although it is unclear if the LTTE further modified them, both aircraft were found to be laden with ammunition and explosives worthy of a suicide mission. In earlier instances similar Zlin aircraft dropped bombs and escaped.
Meanwhile, the taskforce infantry as well as divisional troops on the ground in Puthukkudiyirippu had sighted the two aircraft taking off, but were unable to intercept or destroy them before they approached the city.
“Ground troops heard and saw both aircraft taking off; we knew they were heading for Colombo but due to the lack of anti aircraft machinery in Mullaitivu, the aircraft were not fired upon,” said Military spokesperson Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara.
The Z 143 which travels at a maximum speed of 265Km/h (162mph) and at low altitude is said to be difficult to target and intercept with the lack of extensive radar or airborne early warning — as it was the case in Mullaitivu on Friday night. The aircraft were again spotted hovering over Mannar airspace before approaching Colombo.
By the time both aircraft made their way, the air force had been alerted and the air defence system activated in the capital for a possible bombing. As both aircraft infiltrated the airspace around 9:45pm, the night sky of Colombo reminiscent of many earlier sorties, was lit up with tracer gun fire aimed at the targets.
The blobs of luminous red and amber that were seen sporadically in the night sky are tracer ammunition igniting upon firing which makes the projectiles visible to the naked eye.
This however is not the first instance, Tiger rebels had infiltrated controlled airspace, and Friday night’s incident marks the 9th time —albeit ending in a successful attempt at shooting both aircraft down. This however is the first instance the LTTE had fixed bombs to aircraft in a full fledged suicide mission.
“This incident is not a hit and run one. It is a full fledged suicide mission, whereby both aircraft had explosives and ammunition attached to the underside,” the military spokesperson said. “It was in the end however a failed mission.”
However, the Department of Inland Revenue located along Sir Cyril C. Gardiner mawatha was not supposed to be the target. According to the military spokesperson, it was believed that the aircraft had either planned to attack the air force headquarters which was in close proximity to the Department of Inland Revenue, or the President’s House or the army headquarters which were also in the vicinity.
One aircraft after sustaining gunfire while hovering above the Inland Revenue building had crashed between the third and 12th floors. “Parts of strewn pieces of flesh said to be that of the Tiger pilot, found on some floors proved that the pilot would have lost control of the plane after being hit by the air defence assault,” a military statement said.
Extent of the damage
Although the extent of the damage to the Department of Inland Revenue is yet to be evaluated, at least 50 people were injured in the attack and two have succumbed to their injuries. Director of the Colombo General Hospital, Hector Weerasinghe said that most of the injured had suffered minor shrapnel wounds and were recovering.
“The Inland Revenue was not supposed to be the target; it was due to the gunfire from our air defence system that the aircraft was hit and the mission thwarted,” added the military spokesperson.
Meanwhile, the other aircraft hovering over the Colombo sky made its way to the airbase at Katunayake adjoining the Bandaranaike International Airport and due to the threat posed, several flights were cancelled.
However, even before the LTTE suicide aircraft approached the airbase it was shot down with the pilot inside. The Military recovered the wreckage of the aircraft and the body of the LTTE pilot. It was reported that the pilot’s body was found intact with two cyanide capsules as well as a powerful bomb attached to him.
The aircraft was also found to be laden with a large quantity of explosives and bombs. Meanwhile, six civilians had suffered injuries in the air crash at Katunayake, and were admitted to the Negombo hospital. Unofficial reports however added that a third aircraft had also been spotted but dropped off the radar and the night sky by the time the two planes were shot down.
Army enters Puthukkudiyiruppu town despite fierce resistance
By Mihiri Fonseka
Fierce fighting is happening in Puthukkudi-yiruppu, north of Mullathivu. The Tigers are offering heavy resistance from 19th Februrary onwards, when troops entered the Puthukkudiyiruppu town limits. Army headquarters ordered changes in the positioning of some divisions in the light of this situation on the battlefront.
The 59th division under Brigadier Nandana Udawatta, which was earlier moving north on both sides of the Nanthikadal lagoon, has been ordered to advance north only along the coast where the lagoon mouth is located. Task Force 8 is positioned on the western end of the Nanthikadal lagoon and is expanding operations towards the A 35 road. The 53rd division under Brigadier Kamal Gunaratne managed to enter the settlement area located on the southern edge of Puthukkudiyiruppu on the 19th. The 53rd division was held in reserve but two of its brigades have now been deployed in the final operations against the LTTE. The air mobile brigade, under the command of Colonel Shantha Dissanayake — and the 533rd brigade under Lieutenant Colonel Jayanath Jayaweera are fighting on the southern edge of Puthukkudiyiruppu. Task Force 4 is connected to the east of the 53rd division. Colonel Nishantha Wanniarachchi commands this battlefront. During the last week, this task force managed to set up a new defence line by linking up with the 58th division, which is fighting on the north of the A 35 road. The 57th division, Task force 3 and Task force 2, which were deployed on the Mullaitivu front, will now be held in reserve as additional divisions. Task force 4 is also likely to become an additional division by the end of this week. This is because the army’s defence line will be further narrowed with the coming together of the 53rd and 58th divisions. This means that the army now has to fight in an area as small as 75 square kilometres. Army headquarters has decided to construct a second defence line using the divisions which are held in reserve. The objective of the second defence line is to provide additional security in case of a guerrilla attack. It seems now as if the 53rd and 58th divisions, along with Task Force 8 will be involved in the final battle.
Shelter
On the 19th, Task Force 4 found a three storeyed underground house situated in Puthukkudiyiruppu south. The army believes that this house provided shelter to high ranking LTTE leaders. According to reports reaching the battlefront, Task force 8 and the 53rd division, which have entered Puthukkudiyiruppu town, are facing heavy resistance of the Tigers.
Intelligence agencies say that Prabhakaran is still in this area, but that his wife Madhivadani, daughter Dwarakarnam and youngest son Balachnadran have fled the country. According to information obtained by a Tiger suicide cadre arrested around a month ago, Prabhakaran’s eldest son Charles Anthony is also in Puthukkudiyiruppu. A senior military office said that the Tigers will attempt to delay the army for as long as possible to allow the Tiger leader to escape.
However, army headquarters has decided to accelerate the pace of the military forward march. Army commander Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka visited the Wanni military headquarters on Saturday (14th) and gave division commanders instructions on the final battle.
Meanwhile, the 58th division under Brigadier Shavindra Silva managed to capture the entire area west of Puthukkudiyiruppu last week. By the 20th, the division had also captured the village of Ampalavanpokkani, located north-east of Puthukkudiyiruppu. Thus, the 58th division has been able to capture the 35 square kilometre area which encompassed the old ‘safe zone’.
The 6th Gemunu Watch, under Lieutenant Colonel Kamal Pinnawala managed to capture a guerrilla camp which may have been the headquarters of the Gangei Amaran diving unit of the Sea Tigers. Soldiers have managed to secure a stock of items from this base. They include 2 underwater scooters and 15 diving kits. The coverings of the items hadn’t been removed. Intelligence agencies believe that these items would have been brought for use by the Gangei Amaran underwater unit.
There is much likelihood that the 58th division will cross Paliaru and enter the area east of Puthukkudiyiruppu by the weekend. Despite fierce resistance,the troops are slowly encircling the town. The next week will prove decisive in the battle for Puthukkudiyiruppu. Meanwhile, the discovery of two buried artillery guns of the LTTE by the 53rd division has shed new light into the gun running activities of the Tigers.
On the 16th the keen eyes of one vigilant soldier of the regiment fell on a half dead bush. On suspicion, he uprooted it and noticed that the tree had no roots and was planted recently. The soldiers were set to work digging the area. After they had dug 12 feet into the earth, troops found the two barrels of the guns wrapped in polythene and smeared in grease. Later, they found the other components of the guns buried in the surrounding area. According to details uncovered thus far, these two 130mm guns haven’t been used. The T 559 type of guns bore the serial numbers 60031 and 260114. They are produced in China.
Army headquarters has taken steps to form a new army task force. This is Task Force 8. Colonel J.V. Ravipriya is the commanding officer , having served as the officer commanding the 571st brigade during the Wanni operations and being a skillful and battle hardened campaigner.
The new task force is under the command of 53rd division commander Brigadier Kamal Gunaratne and is engaged in operations from the Nanthikadal lagoon in Mullaitivu towards the area of Puthukkudiyiruppu town.
