Operation Definite Victory
Encyclopedia
Operation Definite Victory (Sinhala: ) was a military operation launched by Sri Lanka
n Special Task Force
commandos on January 4, 2007 to evict LTTE rebels from the Kanchikudichcharu and Thoppigala regions of the Ampara District
of Sri Lanka. The army had accused the LTTE of carrying out the child abductions
in Bakmitiyawa and Ampara
, including the abduction of two teachers and 23 Tamil children in December by LTTE cadres when they were returning from extra classes to their homes.
As a result of this offensive, elite police commandos were able to overrun twenty (20) rebel camps including the Stanley Base, which was the main LTTE camp in the Amparai District and a regional intelligence and supply camp, Bagayadi Base, where local and foreign foodstuffs and sanitary material was stored, Janak Base, which made clothing identical to Sri Lanka Army and Special Task Force uniforms, Jeewan Base, which was another supply camp from which the STF was able to recover four vehicles and the Diana Base where LTTE leaders meet. A statement issued by the ministry of defence said the camp was furnished with luxury items.
After the fall of Stanley Base, STF troops were able to find an explosive laden truck and a motor cycle that the rebels were planning to use to carry out suicide attacks in the capital of Colombo
. It was reported that LTTE was housing a large number of child soldiers conscripted by them in this camp. Other than that, STF troops were able to recover a large quantity of arms and ammunition, coffins, a large number of anti-personnel mines, vehicles, satellite and radio receivers, global positioning systems, power generators
, boats with name and logo of the NGO "Save the Children
", tents with the logo of "UNHCR" and a fully equipped hospital donated to the militants by a Dutch
INGO
named ZOA Refugee Care This NGO donated hospital is named by the Tigers as Thileepan Memorial Hospital. STF also said that they also found a water tanker truck donated by, the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) which is an affiliated organization of the LTTE.
The STF offensive in the Kanchikudichchiaru forest reserve has brought to light many illegal activities of the LTTE, which include engaging in illegal timber, ivory
, torture chamber
s, lockups, and cannabis
trade. The STF had come across a large plantation of cannabis grown by the LTTE deep inside the Kanchikudichchiaru forest reserve. STF troops also detected carcasses of elephants dumped in swamps which indicate that they may have been killed for their tusks. They reported torture chambers allegedly used by Tamil Tigers to punish escaping rebels and informers, including women fighters. LTTE spokesman Rasiah Ilanthiraiyan denied the allegations. The Associated Press reported that the military had "provided no proof" of the claims, and that the SLMM monitors had not visited the area.
As a result of this mission STF troops were able to kill four rebels. The STF commented that the militants were fleeing from the area without retaliating against their troops. The government called for the surrender of fleeing LTTE cadres and offered overseas jobs after a rehabilitation programme.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
n Special Task Force
Special Task Force
The Special Task Force is an elite special forces unit of the Sri Lanka Police Service specializing in Counter-Terrorist and Counter-Insurgency operations. It was formed in 1983 not as a military force but rather as a highly specialised police unit...
commandos on January 4, 2007 to evict LTTE rebels from the Kanchikudichcharu and Thoppigala regions of the Ampara District
Ampara District
Ampara district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Ampara town...
of Sri Lanka. The army had accused the LTTE of carrying out the child abductions
Military use of children in Sri Lanka
Militant use of children in Sri Lanka has been an internationally recognized problem since the inception of the Sri Lankan civil war in 1983. The primary recruiters of under the age of 18 children are the rebel LTTE movement and the Karuna group .-LTTE recruitment:Before 2007 the LTTE was accused...
in Bakmitiyawa and Ampara
Ampara
Ampara is a remote city on the East Coast of Sri Lanka, about 360 km from the capital city of Colombo. It belongs to the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka. It was a part of the domain of Kavantissa and was then known as "Ambaragama", which over the years changed to Ambara to Ampara...
, including the abduction of two teachers and 23 Tamil children in December by LTTE cadres when they were returning from extra classes to their homes.
As a result of this offensive, elite police commandos were able to overrun twenty (20) rebel camps including the Stanley Base, which was the main LTTE camp in the Amparai District and a regional intelligence and supply camp, Bagayadi Base, where local and foreign foodstuffs and sanitary material was stored, Janak Base, which made clothing identical to Sri Lanka Army and Special Task Force uniforms, Jeewan Base, which was another supply camp from which the STF was able to recover four vehicles and the Diana Base where LTTE leaders meet. A statement issued by the ministry of defence said the camp was furnished with luxury items.
After the fall of Stanley Base, STF troops were able to find an explosive laden truck and a motor cycle that the rebels were planning to use to carry out suicide attacks in the capital of Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
. It was reported that LTTE was housing a large number of child soldiers conscripted by them in this camp. Other than that, STF troops were able to recover a large quantity of arms and ammunition, coffins, a large number of anti-personnel mines, vehicles, satellite and radio receivers, global positioning systems, power generators
Electrical generator
In electricity generation, an electric generator is a device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. A generator forces electric charge to flow through an external electrical circuit. It is analogous to a water pump, which causes water to flow...
, boats with name and logo of the NGO "Save the Children
Save the Children
Save the Children is an internationally active non-governmental organization that enforces children's rights, provides relief and helps support children in developing countries...
", tents with the logo of "UNHCR" and a fully equipped hospital donated to the militants by a Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
INGO
Ingo
Ingo is a first name in contemporary Scandinavia and Germany, and a historical name in France. It is the male version of the name Inga, used in the same region, and as a name for a tropical plant....
named ZOA Refugee Care This NGO donated hospital is named by the Tigers as Thileepan Memorial Hospital. STF also said that they also found a water tanker truck donated by, the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) which is an affiliated organization of the LTTE.
The STF offensive in the Kanchikudichchiaru forest reserve has brought to light many illegal activities of the LTTE, which include engaging in illegal timber, ivory
Ivory
Ivory is a term for dentine, which constitutes the bulk of the teeth and tusks of animals, when used as a material for art or manufacturing. Ivory has been important since ancient times for making a range of items, from ivory carvings to false teeth, fans, dominoes, joint tubes, piano keys and...
, torture chamber
Torture chamber
A torture chamber is a room where torture is inflicted.- Methods of coercion :According to Frederick Howard Wines in his book Punishment and Reformation: A Study Of The Penitentiary System there were three main types of coercion employed in the torture chamber: Coercion by the cord, by water and...
s, lockups, and cannabis
Cannabis
Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. Cannabis has long been used for fibre , for seed and seed oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a...
trade. The STF had come across a large plantation of cannabis grown by the LTTE deep inside the Kanchikudichchiaru forest reserve. STF troops also detected carcasses of elephants dumped in swamps which indicate that they may have been killed for their tusks. They reported torture chambers allegedly used by Tamil Tigers to punish escaping rebels and informers, including women fighters. LTTE spokesman Rasiah Ilanthiraiyan denied the allegations. The Associated Press reported that the military had "provided no proof" of the claims, and that the SLMM monitors had not visited the area.
As a result of this mission STF troops were able to kill four rebels. The STF commented that the militants were fleeing from the area without retaliating against their troops. The government called for the surrender of fleeing LTTE cadres and offered overseas jobs after a rehabilitation programme.
See also
- Sri Lankan Civil WarSri Lankan civil warThe Sri Lankan Civil War was a conflict fought on the island of Sri Lanka. Beginning on July 23, 1983, there was an on-and-off insurgency against the government by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a separatist militant organization which fought to create an independent Tamil state named Tamil...
- Military of Sri Lanka
- Terrorist attacks attributed to the LTTE
- Assassinations attributed to LTTE
- Notable attacks by the LTTE