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Army
Troops, now on the outskirts of much-spoken Kokavil, to
the south of Kilinochchi bordering the parallel A-9 Highway
and old Murikandi-Kokavil Railway Station recall cherished
memories of their fallen War Heroes in the 1990s with honour,
admiration and valour and LTTE massacre on 'Yal Devi 'passenger
train.
Photos
in this story taken on Monday (29) show vandalized ruins
of the Murikandi-Kokavil railway station platform with all
its roof-sheets, iron rail tracks, and almost everything,
belonging to the railway station after those items were
either damaged or removed and finally taken away by jungle-
based Tiger terrorists, to be used for their criminal acts.
The
packed south-bound Yal Devi train on its run from northern
Jaffna-Kankesanturai, on that fateful day, 19th January
1985 was blasted by Tiger terrorists, triggering a landmine
when it was nearing Murikandi-Kokavil stop. The train with
thirteen carriages had service and Police personnel as well
as hundreds of civilians aboard who were proceeding to Colombo
on duty requirements and business.
Twenty-eight
Army soldiers and eleven civilians lost their precious lives,
and a total of twenty soldiers, five civilians and three
Police Constables, suffered injuries due to this senseless
terrorist act. Nevertheless, the train driver, thanks to
his presence of mind and bravery pushed all the injured
into the carriage, connecting the diesel locomotive and
speedily continued its journey, leaving all other twelve
compartments behind, since the train remained disconnected
as a result of the impact of the blast. However, the driver
ensured all casualties were delivered to the nearest hospital
at the next railway station, just a couple of minutes later.
He still lives to relate his saga.
Likewise,
intensification of Tiger terrorism in the early part of
1990 saw Officer Commanding at Kokavil Army camp, Lieutenant
S.U Aladeniya, was posthumously awarded the highest valour
in combat, the gallantry medal "Parama Weera Vibhushana"
(PWV) for his fight against Tiger terrorists valiantly without
reinforcements until his camp was destroyed by the terrorists
on 11th July 1990. He received orders to abandon the camp,
but he refused to do so as the majority of his troops were
injured by then and completely immobile. He was the first
to be nominated for this prestigious PWV upon his supreme
sacrifice.
In
fact, his camp was assigned the task of providing security
to the Rupavahini relaying tower in Kokavil (see photo).
This brave officer's troops fought continuously for fourteen
days, despite running short of food, water and ammunition.
The fall of Kokavil in 1990 after fighting the Tigers to
the last bullet gave terrorists a stimulus and a propaganda
mileage.
Almost
two decades after the sacrifices made by those brave soldiers
of the Army, valiant troops of the 57 Division are now consolidating
control over the A-9 road which is within kissing distance
of the much-talked Kokavil centre.
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