Troops avert LTTE suicidal attempt to wreck disaster: 'planned to destroy Iranamadu Tank bund'

An LTTE attempt to destroy the Iranamadu Tank bund flooding an entire landscape with 2 military divisions while raging havoc on thousands of civilians entrapped in the region was successfully averted by Sri Lankan Army troops of the 57 Division recently.

According to military sources, LTTE terrorists had planned to launch a clandestine underwater suicide attack, exploding a section of the Iranamadu tank bund with, over 75kgs of C-4 high explosives. The detonation would have caused the destruction of the tank bund, flooding an entire land mass wrecking havoc, triggering a humanitarian catastrophe, what would have been the "worst ever in recent history", a military official said.

Terrorists had planned to place four 25kg weighing 'limpet' mines (a type of mine with a magnetic base, frequently used by the LTTE to cause underwater detonation) which would have been carried by two suicide divers. Available information from the battlefront reveals that two terrorists had made successive attempts to place the mines on the iron bars of the sluice gates before they were arrested by the security forces.  Unable to carryout the suicide attack amidst intense security patrol the terrorists have guised themselves as IDPs and sought refuge with security forces(17 GR) in the area.  The individuals have later revealed their association with the terrorist outfit and unraveled details of the abortive suicide attack.

Subsequently, the 17GR troops commanded by Major Senaka Kumarawansa uncovered three 25kg explosive mines with floating devices and three detonators and two diving kits with equipment during search operations conducted.

"The D-day was planned either on 25th or 28th January, master minded by the LTTE sea tiger head Soosai himself and another close associate of Prabakaran", military said. LTTE terrorists have  planned for a swift incursion on boats along the flood canals towards the military forward defence lines, also assisted with synchronized artillery barrages from the declared civilian safe zone.

Earlier, on 24th January, LTTE terrorists blasted off the Kalamadukulam Tank bund flooding sections of the A-35 Paranthan - Mullaittivu main road, Ramanatpuram, Dharmapuram and Visuamadu in its dire attempt to stall the multi-frontal military surge. Meanwhile, the two remaining irrigation tanks- Visuamadukulama and Udayarkattukulama were totally liberated by security forces last week.