Days of pain

Days of pain Operation Liberation Memories… (26.05.1987– 26.05.)

This was the first major military operation against the Tamil people in the history of the freedom struggle. In the small area of North Marathi, more than 8000 soldiers, more than a hundred heavy military vehicles, many helicopters, bombers, and naval boats of the Sri Lankan Navy, carried out a siege and attack. More than 800 people were killed in this attack and more than a hundred people were seriously injured. More than 15000 people were displaced from their homes and many were arrested and taken to the Galle Pusa camp.

It is noteworthy that up to 200 freedom fighters participated in the first day of the battle under the guidance of the national leader. 8 fighters were martyred in the first day of the battle. The military operation to defeat the LTTE was on May 10, 1987. 40 fighters selected under the leadership of Selvarasa Master were being given special commando training at the LTTE training camp located in the Kotravatte area of Polikandi. This training was conducted to prepare the LTTE for a major attack. This training was stopped on May 20. The reason for stopping this training was that the Sinhalese army was going to launch a major attack in Jaffna.

On the night of May 25, the national leader held a meeting for the freedom fighters in Vadamaratchi at the training camp in Navindil. The meeting lasted until 1.30 am. In that meeting, the national leader gave advice and instructions on the enemy’s attack plan in Jaffna and how to counter it. It was at this meeting that the leader gave the names of the ranks to the fighters for the first time. Until then, the fighters were usually given the names of the ranks after the death.

On the morning of May 26, after the meeting the fighters returned to the camp. That morning, at 4.30 am, more than 5 helicopters flew down from Palali through the Vallai area, landed in the Mulli, Mulliyaan and Mandan areas and strengthened the military positions. Many helicopters were flying in the airspace. On May 26, the Sinhalese Navy landed many troops in the Vallipura Temple area through the sandy sea. At 5.30 am on May 26, while the fighters were preparing with anti-aircraft guns (50 Caliber) at the main camp of the LTTE located in front of the Udupitiya Union, a bomber aircraft attacked the main camp of the LTTE, in which some fighters including Veeman, Rambo Siva, Chetty, Nagendran and others became maveerar.

The Vadamaradchi Thondamanar Army Camp was in direct contact with the Palali Army Camp. The Vadamaradchi area was completely surrounded by the army through the troops landed at Manalkadu, Mulli, Mulliyan, and Mandan from the Valvettithurai Army Camp and the Paruthithurai Army Camp. May 26, 6.30 am. Captain Alan, in charge of the Thondamanar main camp, and Naresh, both went to the Vallai area in the early morning on a motorbike to check if the army had landed.

After checking, they informed the second in charge that there was no army here. The second in charge at the other end informed them that the army was hiding in the Kresar, Kattu Vairavar area. When the two returned to the Thondamanar area on a motorbike, they did not know that the army was hiding in that area. They arrive at Thondamanar in a motorcycle and are attacked by the army from a hidden position. Both Captain Alan and Naresh became maveerar in a direct battle with the army. This attack marks the beginning of Operation Liberation. At the same time, the army, navy and air force launched a massive attack on the LTTE from Thondamanar, Valvettithurai and Paruthithurai camps. Both sides engaged in fierce fighting in this massive attack.

Due to the intensity of this military attack, the LTTE retreats from Thondamanar, Mayiliyathanai and Valvettithurai positions and moves to the Udupitiya area. Currently, the army is dropping leaflets to the people through helicopters. The army, which has announced the start of the attack through these leaflets, advises the people to take shelter in temples and schools. The fighting continued until 6 pm on May 26. The Paruthithurai camp army was unable to advance beyond that point. However, all the civilian settlements in the LTTE-controlled area were attacked by seaplanes throughout the night. While advancing by land from Valvettithurai camp to Thondamanaru camp, Lieutenant UC was killed in Vempady under shellfire from the Valvettithurai army.

The second day of fighting began at 6 am on May 27. The army launched a heavy attack from the army camps around Vadamaradchi to advance into the village area. The army launched a massive attack through Kambarmalai, Virachickulam, and Vedakkara Sutala and fought through the Udupitiya Valvettithurai main road. A massive battle was fought with the army under the leadership of Nammal. While the fighters JP, Gundu Balan, Kadapi, Paramu, and Kutty were engaged in a counterattack in small groups, the army suffered heavy losses on the second day in the attack of the motorized brigade stationed in the Udupitiya Pathar order.

In this battle that took place on the second day, two fighters, Dakshan and Kajan, were martyred. Many more were seriously injured. Later, the brigade retreated and set up positions in the Udupitiya Union, Ilanthiya forest and Vellarodu areas. At the same time, the army captured the Valvettithurai and Udupitiya areas. The fighting stopped for the second day. However, throughout the night, the army engaged in napalm bombing attacks, barrel excrement attacks and shelling attacks on the people through Y12 aircraft. The fighting resumed on the morning of May 28. A major fight took place at Puraborchi Vellarodu and Ilanthiya forest. In this fight, the LTTE retreated and set up positions in the iron gate and engaged in strengthening work. At this point, the female LTTE members led by Kavita and Malathi were involved in the fight to overcome the shortage of men.

The attack resumed on the morning of May 29 near Nelliyadi. Along with this, a massive clash between the LTTE and the advancing army, supported by helicopter bombers, took place. At the front of the attack alone, 2500 soldiers were involved in the fight. A total of fifty freedom fighters broke into small groups and attacked with them. Italian-made Siama Setti planes launched heavy attacks on civilian settlements. In this fight, the LTTE and the army engaged in a fierce battle from very close quarters. This attack was the first attack in which the women LTTE engaged in direct combat. This attack also has the heroic distinction of being the first in the world where women participated in traditional warfare. The fight lasted until that night. During this attack, the Shukla and Niruban teams, who were stationed in the central area of Nelliyadi, were involved in supply operations and the movement of wounded fighters.

On the morning of May 30, the Sinhalese army resumed its offensive. A massive offensive was launched at Nelliyadi Malusanthi and Manthigai, with air, helicopter and motor attacks. On that day, North Marathahalli fell completely into the hands of the army. The LTTE retreated to the South Marathahalli Kodikamam Mirusuvil areas through the Anavilundhan Kandal area and took up positions. ‘North Marathahalli Operation Liberation’ began on May 26, 1987 and lasted for 5 days. In this war, 817 civilians were killed and more than 15,000 people were displaced from their homes.

This military operation was the first civil war waged by the Sri Lankan army against the Tamils after Sri Lanka gained independence from British rule. This massive military operation was led by the Sri Lankan Army, consisting of 8,000 troops selected from various battalions under the leadership of Brigadier Denzil Koppekaduwa and Colonel Wijeya Wimalaratne, while the then Sri Lankan President J.R. Jayewardene and the defense minister Lalith Athulat Mudali provided political leadership and advice. This was the first phase of the Sri Lankan government’s joint military operations, which was a racist operation to drive innocent Tamils, who had not been involved in any anti-government activities. Through this military operation, the army, which emerged from the Palali Joint Force Base, advanced in areas such as Vasavilan and Kurumbachitti. Many people were displaced due to this military operation. In this, most of the Tamil houses were demolished and destroyed by bulldozers without any reason.

The goal of the then defense minister Lalith Atulath Mudali was to bring the national leader’s hometown of Valvettithurai and the surrounding villages of Udupitiya and Polikandi under his control and completely stop the activities of the LTTE. In this military operation, important senior military officers such as former Defense Secretary Major Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Major Sarath Fonseka, Brigadier G.H.D. Silva, and Lieutenant North Wickramaratne participated in this offensive operation. The troops advanced on three fronts: air, land, and sea attacks. Along the way, the troops frantically arrested more than a hundred Tamil youths and took them to the newly opened Pusa detention camp. Hundreds of the youths who were taken there have never returned. At the same time, they continued to shoot and burn men, women, and children, without distinction, wherever they went. The displaced people were staying as refugees in some houses, temples and schools in villages like Vathiri, Puttala and Alwai. While the people staying in the temples were being identified, shells fired from the Palali army camp towards the Muthumari Amman temple in Alwai fell and exploded, killing about 200 Tamils who had taken refuge in the temple. In the ‘Operation Liberation’ attacks carried out throughout Vadamaradchi up to 850 Tamils were killed and 40,000 civilians were affected, losing their homes and becoming refugees.

The entire region of Vadamaradchi, which was the target of the Vadamaradchi Liberation Operation, was brought under the control of the three armies. The Sri Lankan government forces brought the main areas of the Vadamaradchi, namely Thondaimanaru, Valvettithurai, Udupitiya, Nelliyadi, Paruthithurai and Manthigai, under their control and set up small camps in each place. A large camp with 1500 soldiers was set up at the Nelliyadi Central Mahavidyalaya, the main base of the Vadamaradchi, and they celebrated the victory. Following this military operation, hundreds of dead bodies of goats, cows and dogs were found on the streets along with human bodies. For several days, bodies were lying all over the streets.

“Vadamaratchi Recapture Operation” On 05-07-1987, The Karumpulikal with the first karumpuli Captain Miller attacked the military camp of Nelliyadi Central High School. Captain Miller was a hero and brought Vadamaradchi back under the control of the LTTE!

(Correction by Tamilpriya)