Colombo  , Oct 21 : JVP (People’s Liberation Front) General Secretary Tilvin Silva has reportedly accused the Indian government of throwing a fresh lifeline to the LTTE as the army stepped up pressure on Kilinochchi.

Asserting that the government would eventually “give in to Indian pressure”, he attacked the SLFP leadership and its allies, particularly the breakaway JVP faction the National Freedom Front
(NFF) for blaming the ruling DMK for triggering chaos.

Addressing a press conference at the Hotel Nippon, he claimed that this was essentially a part of the Indian strategy to undermine Sri Lanka s efforts to defeat the LTTE. The government and its allies had conveniently turned a blind eye to the machinations of the Indian Central Government, whereas the focus remained on the so-called Tamil Nadu factor, lankanewspapers. com quoted him as saying.

He severely criticised the invitation extended to Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee to visit at an early date and President Mahinda Rajapaksa s decision to brief Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on his efforts to meet humanitarian concerns raised by New Delhi.

Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan Army said that its “57 Division” had pierced the last major LTTE defence line ahead of its Kilinochchi stronghold.

After a bloody battle in which the LTTE used poisonous gas, the fighting elements of the “57 Division” brought about a three-km stretch of the earth bund along with 19 heavily fortified LTTE bunkers under its control.

The Army lost about 25 personnel while about 100 received injuries, while the LTTE, in its desperate attempt to thwart the army advance, suffered heavy losses.

The Army had launched a two-pronged offensive at 5.45 a. m. on Friday with two main thrusts directed at LTTE fortifications west and the east of the Akkarayankulam tank. The column targeting enemy defences on the western flank captured a two-kilometre stretch along with 19 heavily fortified bunkers.

But, troops on the other flank came under a poisonous gas attack. Although the gas attack and a heavy rain of mortar fire had caused severe battlefield difficulties, the army had seized about a one-kilometre-stretch of the bund

The “57 Division” and the Task Force-I deployed on its left flank pierced the LTTE’s main obstacle-the earth bund running for 28 km from Nachchikuda to Akkarayankulam tank. Task Force-1 troops deployed on the left flank of the “57 Division” conducted operations in the general area Nachchikudha, Vannerikulam and Manniyakkulam areas and claimed that there were heavy damages inflicted on the LTTE.

Contrary to expectations, the Indian factor has spurred stepped up military operations with the SLAF targeting LTTE units engaged in building fresh fortifications.

The official said that the Army was positioned south, east and north of Nachchikuda while the enemy wouldn’t be able to undertake a large scale sea movement in view of the navy s superiority on the seas off north-western coast. (ANI)