10.6.2008
By Ruwan Weerakoon

The Sri Lanka Army's 59th Division in Mannar North under the command of Brigadier S De Silva went yesterday on the offensive in Alankulam. At 4.25 a.m. troops approached the LTTE bunker line and opened fire at the Tiger cadres who retaliated. At the same time another batch of soldiers infiltrated the ditch line where the ditches are 5 feet wide and 5 feet deep with an earth bund of 7 feet high.She said there are many people who have been recruited by force and who are willing to surrender to the SL Army. Civilians are waiting for the SL Army to come and liberate them, she said.She said there are many people who have been recruited by force and who are willing to surrender to the SL Army. Civilians are waiting for the SL Army to come and liberate them, she said.

In this line were deployed a group of women cadres belonging to the Malathi Brigade who opened fire on the soldiers who returned fire.

In the skirmish, nine LTTE cadres were reported killed. However, the soldiers found only three bodies and were able to capture one female cadre. Two soldiers were killed and 15 wounded but the soldiers captured part of the LTTE defence line in Alankulam.

The capture of the female cadre provided valuable evidence that the LTTE was still recruiting boys and girls and sending them to the battle front as cannon fodders.

The captured female cadre was identified as Iranthani Sabapathi Uyandani (LTTE name Madhi Nila, LTTE number Ana 1823). She was 17 years old and her native place is Pandaitheruppu in the Jaffna peninsula.

Her father's name is Iranthani Sabapathi. He was employed in Malaysia and died in 1999. Here mother's name is Iranthani Sabapathi Sarojini who had married for the second time. The girl has an elder sister, 23 year-old Iranthani Sabapathi Anusha.

According to her confession, to Army on 9th of August 2001, Iranthani Sabapathi, accompanied by her uncle, had gone from Jaffna to Kilinochchi to participate in a religious ceremony at a Hindu kovil.

In Kilinochchi LTTE cadres are reported to have abducted her despite her uncle's objections. The uncle is reported to have been brutally assaulted and the girl taken to a training camp.

According to a confession made by the girl to the security forces, she had received small arms training for one and a half months. In this training camp there were said to be many children between the ages of 13 and 17, while there were many adults too receiving training. All these adults were said to be recruited by force.

The girl further said that the trained LTTE cadres move with the recruits so that they couldn't talk freely. She said during the training period, the recruits never got any nourishing food. Their food was almost always 'pittu' and bread with one curry.

After training, the LTTE assigned them to the LTTE defence line, to which they are transported while blind folded. The LTTE provides each of them with a T56 rifle and two ammunition magazines along with a cyanide capsule necklace.

The captured cadre said that she has to do duty round the clock with all three meals - breakfast, lunch and dinner – provided once. However, on some occasions the dinner could not be eaten because it would had gone stale.

She said there are many people who have been recruited by force and who are willing to surrender to the SL Army. Civilians are waiting for the SL Army to come and liberate them, she said.

When the girl was asked why she did not bite the cyanide capsule before she was captured she is reported to have said she wanted to surrender as she wanted to see her mother and sister.

Asian Tribune