With the rebels uprooting the army overnight from over 1,400 square km of territory gained at enormous material and manpower cost in a sustained military campaign for over two years, deputy defence minister General Anurudha Ratwatte, accompanied by a large team of top defence officials, rushed to the North to put down a virtual revolt in the ranks.

Reports from northern Vavuniya town said that scores of frustrated soldiers who had fled after deserting positions in Vanni, indulged in arson and looting. There were even reports of these deserters shooting down senior officers when they attempted to restoreorder. General Ratwatte, the mastermind behind the Chandrika government's aggressive military policy against the LTTE, rushed last night to northern Vavuniya to bring the situation under control. The area is virtually teeming with soldiers now, reports said.

Media reports here said Ratwatte, accompanied by head of the joint operation command Lt Gen Rohan Daluwatte, Chief of Staff Major General Lionel Balagelle and a number of air force and naval officials, flew to Vavuniya after Chief of the army Lt Gen Srilal Weerasurya, who was stationed there, failed to stabilise the situation. Last night, Colombo was agog with rumours that Lt Gen Weerasurya had resigned from his job owning responsibility for the debacle at Vanni, where the army has lost six important small towns in as many days, following a sustained and bloody counterattack by LTTE guerrillas. Before flying to Vavuniya, General Ratwatte effected a major shake-up in the army's top brass by transferring Major General Wasantha Percra, security forcescommander of the Vanni region who was held responsible for the defeat, which army officials admit as the worst in the 17-year-old ethnic war with the LTTE. He was replaced by his brother-in law, Major General Janaka Perera. Several other military officials down the line were also replaced.

Even as the army was grappling with the virtual revolt in its ranks, Chandrika was contemplating postponing presidential polls scheduled to take place on December 21, The Island newspaper reported today.