Battle of Aanandapuram

Last updated

Battle of Aanandapuram
Part of Sri Lankan Civil War,
2008–2009 SLA Northern offensive
Date29 March – 5 April 2009 [1]
Location
Aanandapuram, Sri Lanka
Result Decisive Sri Lankan Army victory
Territorial
changes		 Aanandapuram area regained by the Government of Sri Lanka
Belligerents
Coat of arms of Sri Lanka.svg Military of Sri Lanka Tamil Eelam Flag.svg Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
Commanders and leaders
Sarath Fonseka
Shavendra Silva [2]
Kamal Gunaratne [3]
G.V. Ravipriya [3] 		Velupillai Prabhakaran
Pottu Amman
Brigadier Theepan   †
Brigadier Bhanu
Brigadier Thurga   †
Brigadier Vithusa   †
Brigadier Gaddafi   †
Brigadier Manivannan   †
Strength
Sri Lanka Army:
58 Division
53 Division
Task Force 8
50,000 soldiers [2] 		≈1000 cadres
Casualties and losses
Unknown Three 130mm artillery, several mortars,1 jeep, 3 pickup trucks mounted with 14.5mm & 1 AA gun captured [4]

The Battle of Aanandapuram was a land battle fought between the Sri Lankan Military, 58 Division, 53 Division and Task Force 8 and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for the control of the last stronghold held by the LTTE. This battle is a part of the Northern Theatre of Eelam War IV during the Sri Lankan civil war. The battle was fought in the Aanandapuram area of Puthukkudiyirippu AGA Sri Lanka. [4]

Contents

Build up

Since the start of the northern offensive in 2008 the Sri Lankan Army had been steadily progressing on multiple fronts. As the LTTE had limited men and firepower, it was gradually withdrawing towards the North East part of the country. Finally they were confined to a small littoral strip of territory located between the A-35 highway (Paranthan-Mullaitheevu road) Nanthikadal and Chalai lagoons on one side and the Indian Ocean on the other. [5]

More than 50,000 soldiers from five divisions and three task forces besieged the LTTE. The Tigers were trying desperately to break out of this encirclement and drive the forces back. Against this backdrop the LTTE planned to launch a massive counter-offensive against the armed forces. The idea was to conduct a carefully planned operation that would deliver a crippling blow to the security forces although the Tigers were outnumbered 50 to 1.

The battle

On 30 March LTTE launched a massive attack on SLA front line in the Puthukuduyirippu area, advancing out of the no-fire zone. LTTE advanced towards Puthukudiyirippu facing stiff resistance by Sri Lankan Army. SL Army's 53rd and 58th divisions and Task Force 8 advanced out of Puthukkudiyiruppu in a pincer movement intended to outflank the Charles Anthony regiment which held the eastward-running Puthukkudiyiruppu-Iranappaalai-Puthumaathalan road. A brigade of the 58th Division swung east and then south, while another from the 53rd, along with TF8, attacked east and then north, both pincers meeting at Pachaipullumottai junction to the rear of Charles Anthony, cutting the footpath between Ambalaranpokkanai to Pachaipullumotti which LTTE used as a supply line. The Tigers fought fiercely to prevent the encirclement but were overwhelmed. Special Forces and Commandos set an ambush in the coconut trees east of the pocket, cutting routes of reinforcement to the LTTE trapped in Aanandapuram. A reinforced company of Tigers under Col Lawrence was sent in a convoy that attempted to reach the 2  km square pocket, but were ambushed and destroyed by special forces. Injured, Lawrence managed to escape with a few survivors. The army moved in heavy support weapons, artillery and multiple-barrel rocket launchers. By 5 April, the battle was over. This was an extremely decisive battle in 2008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensive. Close to 75% of the LTTE's forces were lost, and suffered its largest loss of command staff in a single battle.

LTTE casualties

Senior LTTE leaders killed

[4]

Senior LTTE leaders killed (Ranks unknown)

Other Senior leaders named Ashvini, Anjchaan, Vannam, Aaral. [4]

Killed senior Commanders of Radha Air-Protection regiment

Some of these Radha regiments Commanders breached the SLA's siege on Aananthapuram from outside on the evening of 31 March and entered into the sieged Aananthapuram region to bring back their cadres who were trapped inside. But unfortunately, the siege was very tight to breach and all of these commanders along with their cadres were killed by SLA.

Alampil Landing

This was done by Ltte to break the Anandhapuram box and to safely take out their cadres. But it was failed due to the heavy Shelling of the SriLankan Army and repelled by SLA. On 04.04.2009 Senior LTTE Commander Brigadier Jayam, Attack commander of LTTE intelligence department(TOSIS) Colonel Veerathevan  † (Later killed in this landing) and Commander Colonel Peerinpam were handed over the task by LTTE Chief Velupillai Prabhakaran to land an eighty LTTE Cadres and their supplies from Mullivaikal to Nayarru Hill and bring the Cadres who were trapped in the Aananthapuram box to Mullivaikkal.

Accordingly, the LTTE supply teams (Fifteen Boats) were ordered to provide security for the landing teams by LTTE Admiral Soosai (Soosai, used to instruct the LTTE teams to ensure that they do not allow SL navy to cause any harm to the cadres coming through the distribution operation from any part of Tamil Eelam as they go through each distribution operation.) The Sea Tigers Sea attack teams were also deployed on the evening of 03.04.2009 to ensure that the Sri Lanka Navy did not interfere with the landing.

As more and more of their boat contingents were going, they were identified by the Sri Lankan Army and the shells were fired into the sea since they started. But despite the dangers, the distribution teams went their own way according to the tasks assigned to them. After receiving the command from the command centre, that is, on 04.04.2009 at about three o'clock in the morning, the team led by Colonel Veerathevan landed first.

As they were a small team and their fighters made inexperienced long-distance voyages, they were eventually killed in the battle where there was no cover for fighting against the Sri Lankan Army who was on the shore and getting reinforced continuously. Nearly 20-25 LTTE fighters were killed in that Landing according to the SLAs wartime report. Later Col. Veerathevan's body was recovered from the seashore by SLA.

As the attempt was unsuccessful, other fighters did not attempt to make a landing. Later they returned safely and arrived in Mullivaikkal with the help of the Sea attack teams(Nalaayini special Sea attack team and Charles special sea attack team) of Sea tigers.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Special Boat Squadron (Sri Lanka)</span> Sri Lanka Navy special forces unit

The Special Boat Squadron is the Sri Lanka Navy's elite special forces unit, modeled after the British Special Boat Service. It was raised in 1993.

The Battle of Mullaitivu, also known as the First Battle of Mullaitivu and codenamed Operation Unceasing Waves-1, was a battle between the militant Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and the Sri Lankan military during the Sri Lankan Civil War for control of the military base in Mullaitivu in north-eastern Sri Lanka.

The Battle of Thoppigala took place between the Sri Lanka Army and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) fought during a period of the first half of 2007 over control of the LTTE-dominated peak of Thoppigala, located 40 km northwest of Batticaloa, in eastern Sri Lanka.

The Battle of Jaffna was fought in two phases in August and October 2006 for the Jaffna peninsula. It was the fourth battle for the peninsula since the start of the Sri Lankan civil war.

The Battle of Pooneryn took place between the militant Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and the Sri Lankan military during the Sri Lankan Civil War for control of the military base in Pooneryn in northern Sri Lanka from 11 November to 14 November 1993.

Operation Riviresa, was a combined military operation launched by the Sri Lankan Armed Forces in Jaffna. Starting on 17 October 1995, the primary objective of the operation was the capture of the city of Jaffna and rest of the Jaffna peninsula from the LTTE. It is believed that Operation Riviresa was the largest and most successful military operation in Sri Lankan Armed Forces during the Third Eelam War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Janaka Perera</span> Sri Lankan politician

Major General Janaka Perera, RWP, RSP, VSV, USP, VSP was a Sri Lankan General and politician. He served as the Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army and is considered one of the most distinguished generals in Sri Lankan history. After retiring from the army he served as a Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Australia and Ambassador to Indonesia. He was the opposition leader of the North Central Provincial Council until he and his wife were killed on 6 October 2008 by a suicide bomber. The LTTE have been blamed for the bombing by Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa.

During the Sri Lankan Civil War, the Muhamalai Forward Defence Line was the Army Defence Line separating the Sri Lankan Army and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) militia in North Central Kilinochchi from South Central Jaffna. The distance between the first line of defences ranged from 200 to 600 meters. Sri Lankan soldiers captured the 1st Forward Defence Line (FDL) between Muhamalai and Kilali at around 05:00 on 20 November 2008, pushing the LTTE lines 800m southward.

The 2008–2009 SLA Northern offensive was an armed conflict in the northern Province of Sri Lanka between the military of Sri Lanka and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The battle began with a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) offensive attempting to break through the LTTE defence lines in the north of the island, aiming to conclude the country's 25-year-old civil war by military victory.

Brigadier Balraj was a senior commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theepan</span>

Velayuthapillai Baheerathakumar was a leading member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a separatist Tamil militant organisation in Sri Lanka. He played a leading role in the LTTE's military victories in the Vanni during Eelam War III, including Mullaitivu (1996), Kilinochchi (1998), Oddusuddan (1999) and Elephant Pass (2000). He was killed at the Battle of Ananthapuram in the last days of the Sri Lankan Civil War.

The Battle of Kokavil was fought from 27 June to 11 July 1990 in Kokavil, Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan military camp at Kokavil was put to siege by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for 14 days before they captured it. Of the 54 Sri Lankan Army soldiers stationed in the base at the time, only 2 and a civilian cook reached friendly lines after the battle, with all others having been presumably killed by the LTTE.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lalith Jayasinghe</span> Sri Lankan Army officer

Lieutenant Colonel J.A.L Jayasinghe PWV, WWV, RWP, RSP was a special forces officer in the Sri Lanka Army, who was posthumously awarded the Parama Weera Vibhushanaya (PWV) the highest award for combat bravery in Sri Lanka.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeyanthan Brigade</span> Military unit

The Jeyanthan Regiment was an elite infantry formation of the LTTE. It was founded on 3 May 1993 and was initially trained under the leadership of Colonel Karuna Amman. It was the second oldest and most feared infantry unit of the Tamil Tigers. According to LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, the Sri Lanka Armed Forces feared the Jeyanthan Brigade the most and sought to avoid direct clashes with them. The soldiers in the unit all hailed from villages in the Eastern Province. Unlike the Charles Anthony Brigade which was only deployed in the North, the Jeyanthan Brigade was deployed in the East as well as the North and played an important role during Second Battle of Elephant Pass. The regiment was named after the LTTE's first Eastern Sea Black Tiger, Captain Jeyanthan, who destroyed a Sri Lankan Naval Patrol Vessel off the coast of Point Pedro on 4 May 1991. Prabhakaran inaugurated the unit on the 2nd death anniversary of Captain Jeyanthan in 1993.

The Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) is a Covert Operation unit of Sri Lanka Army. This unit is also known as the Deep Penetration Unit (DPU). Colonel Raj Vijayasiri of the Special Forces regiment is credited as the main figure who introduced the DPU concept first to Sri Lankan army.

Major General Nandana Udawatta, RSP, USP, psc, SLAC was a Sri Lankan general. He has served as the Master General Ordnance, Commander Security Forces Headquarters - Jaffna, Commander Security Forces Headquarters - Mullaittivu and was the general officer commanding, 59 Division during the SLA offensives in the Wanni region during 2008 - 2009 period that led to a major victory for the SLA over the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the Sri Lankan civil war.

Divisions of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam refers to the military, intelligence and overseas divisions the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Most of these divisions were destroyed during the Eelam War IV, and only parts of the intelligence and financing divisions remain overseas.

G. D. H. Kamal Gunaratne, WWV, RWP, RSP, USP is a retired Sri Lankan army general. He is the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence and the State Ministry of National Security and Disaster Management. A retired career officer of the Sri Lanka Army, Gunaratne had served as the former Commander Security Forces Headquarters - Wanni, general officer commanding (GOC), 53 Division and was a former Deputy Ambassador to Brazil. He was the GOC of the 53 Division which killed the LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran at Nandikadal, Mullaitivu.

General Hamilton Wanasinghe, VSV was a full general in the Sri Lanka Army. He served as the 11th Commander of the Sri Lankan Army (1988–1991), third General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Joint Operations Headquarters (JOH) (1991–1993) and Defence Secretary.

References

  1. ↑ Sri Lankan Army Archived December 20, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  2. 1 2 Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence Archived May 10, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  3. 1 2 Daily News - government owned newspaper Archived June 4, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  4. 1 2 3 4 "dbsjeyaraj.com » Anatomy of the LTTE military debacle at Aanandapuram". dbsjeyaraj.com. Archived from the original on 14 April 2009.
  5. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 13 August 2012. Retrieved 19 September 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

9°19′33″N80°43′50″E / 9.32583°N 80.73056°E / 9.32583; 80.73056

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.