FIGHTING IN THE BOTTLENECK NATIONAL FRONT

The most common question that throws in to the defense analysts these days is why it s so difficult for the army to move ahead from the national front (Forward defense line From Kilali to Nargalkovil).When the SLA is making significant advances in the wanni battle front.

There are several reasons behind this. But above all the major disadvantage for the SLA here is the situation of the land which is very favorable to LTTE.

The national front defense line is a narrow 8 Km Bunker line stretching from Kilali to Nargarkovil(Shown in the picture) connecting the Jaffna peninsula to the main land. This is also an open where even a rabbit can be spotted for many miles.

For the SLA two fighting divisions namely 53 rd and 55 th are operating in this front. That means about 15,000 SLA troopers are waiting in there jumping off positions ready for action. From these to 53 rd is the oldest and the most experienced division in the wanni battlefront today. It was the only reserve division that the SLA had when the present military commander took over. And there is also a mechanical Infantry regiment.

According the Intelligent reports, the no of LTTE tiger’s guarding the heavily fortified bunker line is between 1000-1500.But most of them are experienced hardcore cadres. The strategy of the LTTE is that the less experienced carders manning the bunker line while the more experience carders act as reserve. In this way they can stand up to military advances while preserving their experienced carders.

In the Beginning of this ongoing wanni operation, Tigers had to defend to defense lines.One is the 8 km narrow national front. The other is the 108 km wanni FDL ranging from Kokkuthduwai lagoon to Mannar. LTTE could not hold on to the longer FDL due to the man power shortage and the SLA is making rapid advance to the heart of wanni.

But even outnumbered (nearly 10 to 1), the tigers are still holding onto the other FDL using the advantage of the bottleneck shaped terrain. Due to this disadvantage the SLA can’t outflank the enemy from either side. Which was a tactic significantly used in the wanni battlefront. (The same tactic was used in the true story which was used to create the film 300).The SLA has tried to breach the enemy defensive line several times with had on clashes, But was forced to retreat with heavy casualties. Because of the open terrain, the effectiveness of the mortar and artillery are quite high which tigers use quite effectively nowadays.

But all these resistance won’t last forever. The huge manpower of the SLA will melt down the LTTE defense formations slowly but surely. Only time will tell when it is going to happen.