Fierce fighting continues in Sri Lanka as Hundreds of soldiers die:

Fierce fighting continues in Sri Lanka as Hundreds of soldiers die:
Dec 23, 2008, 03:06
COLOMBO - Tamil Tigers claimed killing at least 100 government soldiers on Monday, December 22, while beating back a fresh offensive by Sri Lankan forces in two fronts against their political capital Killinochchi. They also said more than 250 government troops wounded in the fighting. The fighting continues in three other fronts, according to both the Tigers and the Military.

“The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) repulsed a two-pronged assault against the town of Kilinochchi after seven hours of fighting,” said S. Puleedevan, secretary general of the LTTE Peace secretariat.

While the military said that security forces killed at least 56 Tamil Tiger rebels for the loss of 10 soldiers killed in fresh fighting on Monday. About 40 soldiers and 90 Tigers were wounded in the battles outside Kilinochchi, the military said in a statement.

The Latest flare up started following an emergency meeting at the forces’ head quarters in Vavuniya. Vavuniya Security Forces Commander Major General Jagath Jayasuriya, 57 Division Commanding Officer, Major General Jagath Dias, 58 Division Commanding Officer, Brigadier Shavendra Silva and 59 Division Commanding Officer, Brigadier Nandana Udawatte were told to capture the Killinochchi before new year by the political masters in Colombo.

Tamil Tigers
Under pressure from their political masters, the Army's Task Force 1 under Brigadier Shavendra Silva command resumed its thrust from Kunjiparanthan and Nivil at 5.30 am on December 22, soldiers from 12 Gamunu Watch and 10 Gajaba Regiment also part of the offensive. Even though the formation suffered heavy causalities, the fighting still continue on this sector.
The same place witnesses heavy fighting for the last one week and the defence wire reported, “Scores of Tigers and close to 200 soldiers have been killed in about 10 days of fighting. 53 SLA bodies fell into the LTTE at fighting in Paranthan, Nilvil.”

“The bund, sometimes 20 feet tall, is heavily manned by tigers armed with MPMGs and HMGs. Bunkers are constructed along the banks, behind the banks and sometimes in the basin of the banks. The rain still keeps falling hard despite a brief respite. The trenches, steep climbs of the bund and the basins have got flooded and muddied. This situation is expected to last till mid-January,” the web further reported.

“In one fight, tigers waited for the SLA to advance and cut them down with heavy fire. As several teams fell, others continued the charge along the muddy approach to the bund, which is again followed by a steep drop into another mud-pit. The approach to the bund, particularly at Paranthan and Nilvil are in open terrain. Meanwhile a second bund has been constructed 2km from the first bund at Paranthan,” the web said of the difficulties faced by the SL forces at the war front at Kunjiparanthan and Nivil.

Even though there were much talk about capturing the Tamil Tigers political head quarters Killinochchci, the SL forces main aim is to reach the Paranthan junction and cutting the Tamil Tigers link to their forces in Muhamalai and Killai in the north. If they able to achieve that then it will be a server blow to Tamil Tigers.

“The LTTE had shifted its offices from Kilinochchi many weeks ago in anticipation of the battle. Kilinochchi has now nothing but the death traps for the SL Army laid by the LTTE. The LTTE knows where those death-traps are, but not the Army. This gives an advantage to the LTTE,” said the Indian Analyst B. Raman.
Meanwhile SLA Troops of the 57 Division under the command of Major General Jagath Dias, the 20th Sinha regiment, the 16th Gajaba Regiment and 57-4 Brigade under Lt. Col. Senaka Wijesuriya advanced in two front from Iranamadu south suffered heavy losses on Monday and returned to their original positions, according to battlefield reports.
SLA
One Military source on grounds of anonymity said that the LTTE launched wave after wave of attacks using MPMGs and even 23mm and 30mm HMGs, the 57 Division took the brunt of the LTTE counter attacks.

The latest clashes came a day after the Tigers said they killed another 60 soldiers and wounded 150 in a counter attack on the outskirts of Kilinochchi and push the SLA forces two kilometres back..
Only Last Tuesday, December 16, some 8000 troops fought the Tiger guerrillas in what was their fiercest battle ever in the ongoing Eelam War IV, and suffered another debacle, according to military observers in Colombo.
Meanwhile it's become an embracement for government to claim that Killinochchi's falls in imminent for the last four months. The latest debacles faced by the forces in their quest to capture Killinochchi also worries the political establishment in Colombo, the sources in Colombo told TFJ.

There was heightened anticipation in Colombo on 26 November, just 24 hours before LTTE leader Pirapaharan was to deliver his annual speech, that troops would be entering the Tamil Tiger political headquarters before the speech. Informed sources told that time that the President Mahinda Rajapakse was making arrangements to make a national announcement immediately after the news was heard.

The anticipation also increased after Defence Spokesperson Minister Keheliya Rambukwella predicted the 'imminent fall of Kilinochchi.' "The fall of Kilinochchi is very imminent Troops are in the outskirts of Kilinochchi and consolidating power," he said on November 26.
In the past weeks, in the anticipation of capture of Kilinochchi, an intense attention not only in Sri Lanka but also the world over, many foreign journalists who had come to cover the event which was expected to materialise within days, left with disappointments after days of wait.

YOU TUBE:
The interview with Al Jazeera and founder of Tamils For Justice
aired worldwide on November 19th, will be realesed tomorrow, as we
have the original DVD in our office, now.
It also would be posted on our website.
As mentioned in the interview over a month ago, the war for the GOSL and the SLA was going nowhere, and the Rajapakse brothers are notorios for their "Litany of Lies". For over four months they have claimed that they are close to Killinochchi and within 4 KMS. Last month they claimed they are within "kissing distance", whatever that meant by the Sri Lankan Army Commander.
Tamils are greatful that he did not say " Within raping distance", as he is fully capable of the wrong choice of words, given his educational back ground like his President, who struggled to graduate from high school.
Some Tamil MP's and Members of the opposition has challenged Mahinda
Rajapakse to release his Thurstan College GCE O Level results of 1963 and1964, and or 1965.
Since he received a "half gratis" law degree by virtue of the fact
being a long term Member of Parliament", similar to a "Half" honorary degree, or "doctorate", the Prsesident should not have any difficulty of releasing his GCE O' Level records.
After all, it is certainly better than previous President Premadasa, and Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranayake, and his former boss,
Mrs. Chandrika Bandaranayake-Kumaratunge who claimed to have graduated from Sorbonne.
The Singhalese might of course, rightly question the "doctorate"
of the Tamil "Theoretician" HE Dr. Anton Balasingam.
If they do, please request your answers from the law professor of
all the current lawyers in Parliament, Prof. G L Peries, who had lectured them, including the 63 year old current President.
Tamils For Justice do not wish to receive any emails on this subject at their email address: Tamilsforjustice@gmail.com