SAMPUR: AN INSIDE STORY

The bunkers occupied by Tiger guerrillas in Sampur 10 days ago are no longer under their control. It is the same with their offices and sea tiger bases. All signs that the area was at one time a stronghold of the guerrillas are still visible.

As government troops secured control of Sampur early this week dislodging the Tigers after nearly nine years of LTTE occupation, the Army was preparing for the next move – to encourage villagers who fled the area to return to their homes. This could take a long time as most civilians had fled to the uncleared areas.

Some 35,000 Tamil civilians have fled Sampur, Kattaiparichan and Ichchilanpattu areas of the Muttur AGA division which saw intense fighting.

A group of journalists were accompanied by the Army on Thursday to Sampur. It was obvious the Army had secured the area after a hard-fought battle.

A service station reported to have been used by the Tigers to service their vehicles and motorcycles remained in one corner with some of the vehicles including tractors bearing government emblems on them.

The offensive aimed at dislodging the Tigers started from the Selvanagar area on August 27.

There were signs that the school in the area had been used by the Tigers during the battle and they had left some items behind while retreating.

Apart from the casualties suffered by the Army and the LTTE, the livestock too had suffered a heavy toll. Some of the injured cattle were in their death throes. One of the moving sights was that of a soldier trying to give some water from his canteen to an injured bull gasping for breath.

A sea Tiger base which appeared to have been used a lot during the recent fighting was among the locations captured by the security forces.

The Army had put up bunkers at regular points to consolidate its positions and prevent Tiger guerrillas re-entering the area.

Lt. Col Sarath Wijesinghe commenting on the fierce battle, said that as the Army began the offensive to re- open the sluice gates of Mavil Aru, the LTTE began an offensive in the areas of Selvanagar, Kattaiparichchan and Mahindapura forcing the security forces to retaliate.

In Colombo, on Friday, Defence Spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella informed Defence Attaches of foreign mission, about the importance of securing Sampur. He said the main aim was to neutralize artillery positions of the rebels. He said Sampur could have been used by the LTTE as a launching pad for artillery and mortar attacks on the vitally important Trincomalee harbour, the naval base, and other economic installations such as the Prima Flour Co., Tokyo Cement Co. and the Indian oil tanks.

But, LTTE political wing leader S.P.Thamilselvan has said that the LTTE views the government’s capture of Sampur as a move to put an end to the Cease-Fire Agreement (CFA).

During a meeting with the Norwegian Ambassador Hans Brattskar on Wednesday, Mr. Thamilselvan said the LTTE wants the army to withdraw to its positions before the CFA was signed if they were to resume talks.

Sampur came under LTTE control in 1997 when the security forces reduced their strength to beef up military operations in other areas of the Wanni. Since then, the LTTE has been accused of placing artillery and mortar positions in the area, posing a threat to the stragic area of Trincomalee.

The area was also used as a landing point for boats carrying LTTE cadres. This included boats coming from the north.

Some of the civilians who had fled Sampur have arrived in Vakarai of the Batticaloa district necessitating Government authorities to provide them with food and dry rations.

Batticaloa’s Additional G.A. K. Mahesan told The Sunday Times that as a result of the influx of displaced people the total number of people depending on government assistance has shot up to 59,000. The figure includes people displaced within the Batticaloa district.

He said that some of the civilians who arrived from Trincomalee were from areas that were neither under the control of the government nor the LTTE.

This new crisis over displaced people comes as the government is grappling to resolve the refugee crisis in Mutur, where some 46,000 people were displaced due to clashes between the forces and the LTTE.

As journalists visited the Mutur area bus loads of displaced persons were seen returning to their homes . Government officials said more than 25,000 had returned and some 8,000 more were due to return in the next few days. Those who returned found that most of their homes had been damaged and they are awaiting government assistance.

For the displaced people – most of them still living in Kantale, the situation was worsening due to the heavy rains and some of the camps going under water.

“We have spent about three weeks in the camps and want to return to our homes urgently. But we need to attend to some repairs before we get back,” Sitti Fareeda said.

She said many of her relatives and friends had gone back hoping that the situation would return to normal soon.

“We don’t want to be displaced again,” she said.

In addition to the buses provided by the government to take back the displaced to their homes in Mutur, some of the displaced were using other available transport facilities including carts and landmaster tractors.

In Mutur government officials were registering those who were arriving to ensure that financial assistance would reach them. But some of the people we spoke to were skeptical of getting this relief soon.