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Birthplace of Prabhakaran’s wife falls
The army’s 58 Division operating on the Vavuniya front yesterday dealt a massive blow to an already debilitated LTTE by capturing its stronghold Mallavi, which functioned as a commercial hub on the Mullativu District border, about ten kilometres south of Kilinochchi. "We have cleared over three-fourths of the township and consolidating power completely is only a matter of time," Military Spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara said last night.
58 Division within 14 km of Mankulam
The troops are now only 14 kilometres west of Mankulum bordering the A-9 highway, having moved about 23 km eastwards from Vellankulam, which they captured less than a month ago.
Mallavi, located about 3.5 km east of Tunukkai, which the army captured about ten days ago, is the birthplace of Prabhakaran’s wife Madivadini. It used to be known as little Geneva due to the heavy presence of INGOs operating from there.
The LTTE fled after offering heavy resistance. The fleeing LTTE combatants damaged the government hospital and several other buildings.
The LTTE had turned the main corridor of the hospital into a bunker line.
When the 573 Brigade of the 57 Division entered the town, jubilant troops hoisted the national flag to celebrate their victory last evening.
The LTTE lost 40 combatants on Sunday in the Mannar, Vavuniya, Welioya and Jaffna fronts.
On the Mannar front, the LTTE has built a 12-foot-high earthen bund stretching over a distance of about 20 kilometres. The 57 Division of the army has captured a stretch of about four kilometers.
Birthplace...
The SLAF pounded the LTTE positions along the bund east and north of Nachchikudah to facilitate the forward thrust of the army. Ground commanders confirmed that there had been two air strikes, the first at 1.45 pm and the second at 2.00 pm. Fighter jets and Mi 24 helicopter gunships were used in the attack.
Heavy fighting left nine Tigers killed and 14 others injured. The army lost three men. Fighting had continued late into last night in Vannerikulam East, the ground commander said.
In the area north of Palamoddai in the Vavuniya theatre 16 Tigers were killed and 21 injured. Troops recovered five bodies.
In a subsequent search operation, troops recovered three T-56 assault rifles and an ICOM communication set.
In a confrontation between the LTTE and the army on the Welioya front six Tigers were killed and twenty six injured.
Meanwhile, troops recovered 10 LTTE bodies south of Konkatiyawa in Padaviya, on the Konkatiyawa-Pulmoddai road after the army on Saturday repulsed an attack launched by an LTTE group that had infiltrated the area and attacked a Civil Defence Force (CDF) and Police post.
According to Military sources the Special Forces has sealed off this area with the help of the CDF personnel.
A military official said it was quite obvious that the LTTE in the face of heavy defeats suffered during the recent past was trying to distract the attention of the security forces by launching such diversionary attacks on civilian targets and the troops guarding the liberated areas.
The police had also recovered the body of an LTTE cadre in Abhimanapura in Padawiaya, he said.
In Kilalai, ion the Jaffna front, one LTTE cadre was killed and seven were injured in confrontations with the troops. One soldier was injured.
