புலிகளின் "சமாதானம்" எறிகணை

அண்மையில் நடைபெற்ற முகமாலைச் சமரில் தமிழீழ விடுதலைப்புலிகள் "சமாதானம்'' எனப்படும் தமது தயாரிப்பு எறிகணைகளை ஏவியிருந்தனர். இதனால் மணிக்கு 30 - 40 பேரை சிறிலங்கா இராணுவம் இழந்திருந்தது என்று கொழும்பிலிருந்து வெளிவரும் ஆங்கில வார ஏடான "சண்டே லீடர்'' தெரிவித்துள்ளது.

"சமாதானம்'' என்னும் சொல்லை மிகவும் நகைச்சுவையாகக் களத்தில் வீழ்ந்து வெடிக்கும் எறிகணைக ளுக்கு விடுதலைப் புலிகள் சூட்டியுள் ளனர் என்று எழுதியுள்ள அப்பத் திரிகை மேலும் குறிப்பிட்டிருப்பதாவது:

இந்த எறிகணைகள் கடந்த மார்ச் மாதம் 23 ஆம் நாள் நடைபெற்ற முகமாலைச் சமரிலும் அரசிற்குக் கடுமையான சேதத்தை ஏற்படுத்தி யிருந்தன. 53 மற்றும் 55 ஆவது படையணிகள் விடுதலைப் புலிகளின் முன்னணி அரணை அடைந்த போது விடுதலைப் புலிகள் தாக்கு தலை ஆரம்பித்ததுடன் 82 மி.மீ, 152 மி.மீ, 130 மி.மீ எறிகணைகளும் சர மாரியாக ஏவப்பட்டன. இந்தச் சமரில் விடுதலைப் புலிகள் 1,000க்கும் அதிகமான எறிகணைகளை ஏவியி ருந்தனர். இதனால் மணிக்கு 3040 பேரை இராணுவம் இழந்திருந்தது. 53 ஆவது படையணியே 80 வீதமான இழப்பைச் சந்தித்திருந்தது.விடுத லைப் புலிகள் தமது பீரங்கிகளில் சிலவற்றை சோரன்பற்றுப் பகுதியில் வைத்து இயக்கியிருந்தனர்.

அருகிலிருந்தே தாக்கியுள்ளனர்

இந்தச் சமரில் பயன்படுத்திய தமது சொந்தத் தயாரிப்பு மோட்டார் எறிகணை களை விடுதலைப் புலிகள் படையினருக்கு அருகில் வைத்தே பயன்படுத்தியிருந்தனர். "சமாதானம்" எறிகணைகள் 2 கி.மீ. தூரவீச்சுக் கொண்டவை. சிலர் அதன் தூரம் மிக வும் அதிகம் எனத் தெரிவித்துள்ளனர். எனினும் விடுதலைப் புலிகள் மிக அதிகளவில் எறிகணைகளைப் பயன் படுத்தியது அவர்கள் புதிதாக எறிகணைகளைத் தருவித்துள்ளதான சந்தேகத்தை ஏற்படுத்தியுள்ளது. "சமாதானம்"எறிகணைகள் விடுதலைப் புலிகளின் மூன்றாம் தலைமுறை எறிகணைகளாகும். விடுதலைப் புலிகள் எறிகணைகளை உருவாக்கும் தமது முயற்சியை 1980களில் ஆரம்பித்திருந்ததாக றொகான் குணரட்ண தெரிவித்துள்ளார் இந்த எறிகணைகளின் பெயர் "பாபா''. 1990 ஆம் ஆண்டு ஜுலை மாதம் "பசீலன்2000" எறிகணைகளை விடுதலைப்புலிகள் பயன்படுத்தியிருந்தனர்.

விடுதலைப் புலிகளின் ஆயுத ஆய்வு மையத்தினால் வடிவமைக்கப் பட்ட "பசீலன்2000'' மோட்டார் 25 கி.கி. நிறையுடைய எறிகணையை 1 கி.மீ. தூரத்திற்கு வீசத்தக்கது. விடுத லைப் புலிகளின் இந்த தொழில்நுட் பப் பிரிவை குட்டிசிறி, மணி, ஒலிவர் ஆகியோர் நடத்தி வந்தனர். இவை களை ராஜூ வழிநடத்தி வந்தார். வட மராட்சி பகுதியில் உள்ள வல்லிபுரம் பகுதியிலேயே இந்த எறிகணைகள் முதலில் பரீட்சித்துப் பார்க்கப்பட்டன.
இரண்டாவது சோதனை வட்டுக் கோட்டை வயல் வெளியில் நடத்தப் பட்டது. எனினும் அது வெற்றிபெற வில்லை. மூன்றாவது சோதனை கீரிம லைப் பகுதியில் நடத்தப்பட்டது.அது வெற்றி பெற்றிருந்தது.

இந்த சோதனைகளை விடுதலைப் புலிகளின் தலைவர் வேலுப்பிள்ளை பிரபாகரன் வீடியோவில் பார்வையிட்டிருந்தார். அதற்கு லெப். கேணல் குட்டிச்சிறி பொறு“பு வகித்தி ருந்தார். 1990 ஆம் ஆண்டு ஓகஸ்ட் மாதம் யாழ். கோட்டை முற்றுகையில் விடுதலைப்புலிகள் அதனைப் பயன் படுத்தியிருந்தனர். பின்னர் பலாலி தளம் மீதும் தாக்குதல் நடத்தியிருந் தனர்.

"பசீலன்2000" எறிகணைச் செலுத் திகளை விடுத லைப் புலிகள் உழவு இயந்திரத்தில் பொருத்திப் பயன் படுத்தியிருந்தனர். படையினர் தமது எறிகணைச் செலுத்திகளைக் கண்ட றிவதைத் தவிர்க்கும் முகமாக விடுத லைப் புலிகள் ஆட்டிலெறிப் பீரங்கி களைக் கூட வாகனங்களில் பொருத் தியே பயன்படுத்தியிருந்தனர் என்று அதில் தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

Samathanams rain down on the FDLs


By Amantha Perera

Samathanam literally means peace in Tamil. It would be a funny twist to the script to have rockets named Samathanam fall on the battle field.

Mortars, aerial bombs and those dropped from aircraft have had crude names and graffiti on them in all battles. During the recent wars in the Middle East all kinds of scrolls would end up on bombs - ranging from 'Greetings' to crude one liners. There has been no evidence that either the Tigers or government forces have resorted to the habit, but graffiti has nevertheless been a sign of who runs what.

Army troops are known to scroll down the name of the division on vantage points in newly captured areas. They especially prefer to do so over Tiger signboards and other insignia. One of the most eye catching scroll was seen behind the old post office building in Kilinochchi.

Among the debris of large concrete slabs that were left of the rear section of the post office, there was a clearly legible writing that said - 'Prabha dan wath athi ban' (Prabha, haven't you had enough). Obviously written by government troops when they were in control of the town before it was lost in 1999. Somehow the letters in black paint remained even five years after government forces withdrew from Kilinochchi.

Locally manufactured rockets

So far nothing with the word 'Samathanam' on it has fallen anywhere. "But we hear that is the name the Tigers use for the locally manufactured improvised rockets," Military Spokesperson Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara confirmed.

The Samathanams were an essential part of the Tiger strategy to thwart the government's military advance into their main FDLs in Muhamalai on April 23. According to the military, government troops from five battalions of the 53rd and 55th Divisions were able to advance 700 metres into Muhamalai no-man's land and reach the first Tiger bunker line during fighting from around 2.30 a.m till around 6.30 a.m on April 23. It was by the first signs of day light that the Tiger retaliation began in earnest.

According to details made available by the Defence Ministry itself the Tigers began firing heavy loads of 82 mm mortars, recoilless projectile fire, and occasional artillery from the 152 mm and 130 mm guns located at Soranpattu about 10 km south east of Muhamalai.

Forcing troops to retreat

At least 1000 mortar shells were fired at the advancing troops who were taking casualties at 30 to 40 per hour, forcing the troops to retreat by 11.30 a.m to their original positions.

The Tigers also indicated that the first movement from the military may have come from along the A-9 where the 55th Division was on the move.

"Their 55th Brigade advanced through A9. 53rd through Kandal area. 55th Brigade participated in the battle started in the early hours of 23rd (22nd night). Mechanised Infantry joined in, in the early morning hours of 23rd ; foot soldiers were supposed to open up the path for the newly developed Mechanical Infantry to move forward. This didn't materialise," Tiger Military Spokesperson Rasiah Ilanthirayan said over Tiger Television last week.

It was the 53rd Division that got hit by the worst of the fire. Over 80% of the casualties were suffered by the 53rd. The artillery from Soranpattu was targeting them from a southeasterly position and day light would have allowed spotters to relay information on where the shells were in fact falling.

Guns using the locally manufactured shells would have to be stationed much closer to the front lines - the effective distance of the Samathanam is about 2 km going by assessments of its earlier versions. Some have suggested that range may have been improved allowing the launchers to be stationed at a much greater distance from the target.

Replenished artillery stocks

The heavy artillery barrage has led to suspicion that the Tigers had replenished artillery stocks through new shipments. But Samathanam is hundred percent locally manufactured.

The Samathanam is not a novelty; it is the third generation of locally manufactured Tiger rockets imitating mortars.

According to author Rohan Gunaratna, the Tigers were trying their hand at manufacturing rockets from the late 1980s. The first that was used was named Baba.

The predecessor to the Samathanam, the Pasilan 2000 was in action 18 years back, by July 1990.

In the book International And Regional Implications Of The Sri Lankan Tamil Insurgency, Gunaratna carries a picture of the Pasilan launcher with the description - "LTTE's most advanced indigenously produced weapon - Pasilan 2000 - with a range of 1km, carrying 25 kg of gelignite - was developed by the weapons research department of the LTTE in July 1990, at the request of Pirapaharan.

"When asked why the weapon named after Pasilan had the number 2000, a LTTE cadre boasted, 'another armed group will not be able to develop such a sophisticated weapon even by year 2000.'" The weapon designers - Kutti Sri, Mani, and Oliver were led by the hi-tech electronic team under team leader Raju of Chunnakam. The first test was carried using 25 kg of sand in Vallipuram, Vadamarachchi.

Pasilan 2000 unit

The second test, using explosives, conducted in an open land in Vaddukkottai, failed as the mortar tube exploded. The third, tested on a building on the sea coast of Kirimalai was a success. Pirapaharan had watched the three tests on video. Kutti Sri, appointed the head of the Pasilan 2000 unit, attacked the Jaffna Fort in August 1990 and thereafter the Palaly military complex. He was killed on board the LTTE ship 'Yahata.'

The available pictures of the Pasilan launcher shows the tube mounted on a tractor painted in camouflage. The Tigers are believed to use mortar launchers and even artillery launchers connected to mobile heavy duty vehicles, to avoid detection by fire finder radar and for greater manoeuverability.

The Pasilan and its newer version have been manufactured to the specifications of 82 mm mortar shells, that according to the military were used abundantly in Muhamalai.

Deep in Tiger held areas

The factories that manufacture the shells are located deep in Tiger held areas in Mulaithivu and one had been the target of an air raid in the Visvamadhu area in January this year.

The heaviest fighting in the week was reported on May 5 when clashes were reported in Mannar and at Muhamalai.

Around 2.30 a.m that morning Tigers from the Vidathalthivu area launched an attack on the navy point at Kodampiddi, on the south eastern shores of Mannar Island. The navy maintains a landing point at the location and the Tigers said that the Sea Tigers had moved from the Vidathalthivu bay area, that is located on the mainland on the north western coast.

A small flotilla of Tiger boats had used the cover of the pre-dawn darkness to get across the small and shallow sea stretch that separates Mannar Island from the mainland before launching the attack. The distance between the southern ends of the Vidathalthivu bay and Kodampiddi is about 10 km and refugees fleeing the fighting in the area have also used the same route and the same means to flee to government controlled areas.

The attack was on the landing point and coincided with an artillery barrage the Tigers directed from their areas.

Conflicting reports

As usual both parties gave conflicting reports on the attack and its aftermath. The Defence Ministry said that the attack was quickly repulsed and one soldier was listed as missing and another suffered injuries.

The Tigers said that the attackers got away with an RPG launcher, a communication set and recovered the body of one soldier.

Three hours after the fighting at Kodampiddi, more clashes were reported, this time from the mainland, in the Vaddakandal area, just north west of Giant Tank. Troops and Tigers clashed for over three hours from around 5.30 am.

Government forces said that troops advanced further into Tiger areas and gained an area about one square kilometre and secured a Tiger bunker line as well. Later on, pictures of the bunkers and the area were released to the media.

The Tigers however said that heavy fighting took place and that the government advance was beaten back. They said that nine soldiers were killed when an armoured personnel carrier was hit by a pressure mine. There was no independent confirmation of the casualty figures or the other details.

Later that morning fighting once again flared at Muhamalai. The government said that Tigers had launched an attack on the FDL manned by troops from the 53rd and 55th Divisions.

Retaliated with small arms

Soldiers had initially retaliated with small arms followed by artillery fire. The Defence Ministry said that two soldiers were killed, one listed as missing and 14 injured. Three of the injured were later moved to Colombo.

At least 10 Tigers were suspected killed. The Tigers said that it was the military that had launched the attack backed by multi-barrel fire and artillery. They said eight soldiers were killed and one body was recovered.

The government also secured Adampan Town, south of Vidathalthivu, on May 9 morning. The town straddles a strategic junction that links roads running to Madhu in the east and Thrikeswaram on the west.

Government military sources also confirmed that intelligence reports had indicated that the Tigers were developing a runway in the Mulaithivu area. Soon after the two Czech built Zlin 143 propeller driven aircraft dropped locally manufactured gravity bombs on the Welioya military headquarters, there was speculation that the Tigers had used a runway closer to Welioya probably flying in north east from the Mulaithivu area.

Five Zlin 143s

Despite the runway just east of Iranamadu taking the limelight and most of the airforce aerial raids, reports have indicated that the Tigers may be developing three other smaller facilities. The presence of one such clearing south of it has been established with bloggers placing pictures obtained off Google Earth.

The pictures however are before 2005 and no such imagery has come to light of the two other such facilities - one at Pilaikudrippu, south-east of Iranamadu in Mulaithivu and the other at Pudukudiyiruppu, north east of Iranamadu.

"We have heard reports that they are expanding and developing the one at Mulaithivu," Brig Nanayakkara told The Sunday Leader.

If that is the case then the Tigers could possibly be using one or more of the runways. Certainly there has been evidence to suggest that Iranamadu runway was used for the five raids carried out by the Tigers.

The Mulaithivu runway is closer to Welioya than any of the other three and the April 24 attack was the first time the aircraft have flown widely east of the A 9 and attacked. All other attacks have been either on the south western coast or over Palaly on October 22, 2007. The aircraft also disappeared from radar even before the interceptors could reach them.

The Tigers are suspected to have at least five Zlin 143s that could be using different runways.

The Sunday leader