Battle of the Forward Defence Lines
Part of the Sri Lankan civil war
Date January 1, 2008 - Location Northern Sri Lanka Result Ongoing
Belligerents
Military of Sri Lanka	Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
Strength
50,000	5,000
Casualties and losses
388 soldiers killed, 100 policemen killed, 1,000 security forces members wounded[1]	3,100+ killed, 1,000 wounded, 310 bunkers destroyed (Government claims[2][1])

The Battle of the Forward Defence Lines was a battle fought in 2008 in an attempt by the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) to break through the LTTE defence lines in the north of the country and end the 25-year-old civil war.

Background

Following the LTTE defeat in the east of the country and their retreat to the north in July 2007 the Sri Lankan military set it's sights on the rebel-held territory in the north. On January 1, 2008 the Sri Lanka government decided to withdraw from the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) with the LTTE. At the Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake proposed to annul the CFA, signed in February 22, 2002, between then United National Front government and the LTTE, government spokesperson Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said. "The Government decided to officially withdraw from the Ceasefire Agreement since it is futile to continue with the Ceasefire with no indication that LTTE is willing to enter the peace path," the Minister said, adding further, "The Ceasefire has been violated by the LTTE more than 10,000 times. The Cabinet decision will be put into practice by using the terms and conditions of the Ceasefire Agreement itself." This set the stage for the Army's attack on the Forward Defence Lines (FDL) in the north.

The Battle

In its plans the SLA adopted new operation tactics and strategical approaches. The Army opened several battle fronts all over the LTTE controlled areas in Vanni. The clear target of the battle is the Elephant Pass. The three main FDLs, Muhamalai, Nagarkovil and Kilali Forward Defense Lines, in Jaffna district, were hit at the same time along with the FDLs in Vavuniya and Mannar districts. Over the next weeks and months army units were sent toward LTTE bunker lines in attempts to destroy LTTE bunker positions. By the end of February, although the SLA managed to destroy at least 250 LTTE bunkers they were only able to advance about few kilometers into rebel territory. However, the SLA were still slowly advancing on the A-9 highway which directly leads toward Elephant Pass. The SLA issued several calls to the LTTE to surrender before the Army's advances.

On February 20, SLA forces staged their most intense attack yet on the LTTE bunker lines. In heavy fighting 92 rebels and 3 soldiers were killed according to the government. Another 20 soldiers were wounded and five bunkers were destroyed. More intense fighting also flared up on March 5. Major engagements all along the de facto border separating territory held by the LTTE occurred and on March 8, SLA troops, backed by helicopter gunships, pushed across the front lines using tanks, mortars and artillery. 84 Rebels and 11 soldiers were killed during the close-quarters combat over those three days and nine rebel bunkers were destroyed and another four captured.

On March 22, a floating mine or a suicide attack of the northern coast of Sri Lanka claimed the lives of 10 Sri Lankan seamen. None of their bodies were ever recovered.

By early April government soldiers were battling tropical illnesses brought on by heavy rains. About 500 troops affected by dengue fever and the mosquito-borne chikungunya virus were being treated at hospitals. Also their offensive operations against LTTE frontlines stalled. SLA troops were beaten back in Vavuniya and Mannar districts.

Mid-April offensive operations against the LTTE continued and dozens of Tiger bunker positions were overrun.

On April 20, a roadside bomb set off by government soldiers in rebel-held territory in Sri Lanka killed a Roman Catholic priest who was also a human rights activist. Reverend MX Karunaratnam accused the government of committing serious human rights violations in its military campaign against the Tamil Tigers.^[3]

On April 23, a large-scale military offensive was mounted against the LTTE defence line in the northern peninsula of Jaffna. After several hours of intense fighting the SLA was beaten back with heavy casualties sustained on both sides. Like always the casualty figures were disputed by both sides of the conflict. The SLA claimed to have sustained 165 soldiers killed, 20 missing and 84 wounded in the day-long battle while they killed 100 militants. In contrast the LTTE said they themselves lost 25 men. Whatever the numbers this was the costliest battle yet for the SLA since the October 2006 debacle when 129 soldiers were killed and 515 wounded after a LTTE counter-offensive in Jaffna.^[4]

Two days after the failed offensive a bomb exploded on a crowded bus in the capital Colombo killing 23 passengers.

The SLA stated that by April 24, 2008, they had killed up to 3,105 LTTE militants since the start of the year, most of them in the north. The SLA reported they suffered 502 soldiers and policemen killed in the whole country, of which 104 SLA troops killed along with 822 wounded in the month of February alone. However, casualty figures provided by both sides differ wildly and cannot be independently verified. Also, at the start of the year the military said there were only 3,000 Tiger rebels left.^[5][6]

Casualty accounts

Like previously stated casualty figures provided by both sides cannot be independently verified. But on numerous occasions it was established that the government was covering up its own casualty figures as on March 5, a member of the Health Ministry stated to the Parliament that 104 soldiers and policemen were killed in February while the Defence department said only 63 government soldiers were killed during that month and 107 soldiers since the start of the year.^[7]

References