LTTE in dire straits as Forces mull Northern advance

Heavy LTTE casualties in SLAF attack on Vishvamadhu:

The LTTE is now heading towards a grim period with the beatings they are now getting from the ground, sea and air and also at the hands of the international community with their fund raising campaign suppressed under anti terror laws.

It seems that the LTTE has suffered heavily after the air interdiction the SLAF fighter jets on the VIP hideout in Vishvamadhu on Tuesday morning.

There had been a stoic silence from the LTTE after MiGs and Kfirs, following reliable information gathered by the intelligence services for quite a long period, unexpectedly attacked on the VIP hideout in Vishvamadhu.

For the past 48 hours the Security Forces had not heard any communication among the LTTE leaders or at the lower level following this attack, which had devastating effects on their installations in Vishvamadhu in the North of Puthukuidruppu.

The SLAF is having video footage of the attack taken from the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle which very clearly indicates that the target the pilots had taken was a very precise one.

The SLAF had observed an unusual reaction on the part of the LTTE towards this attack as they have turned away all the vehicles that reached the Vishvamadu hideout, according to video footage of the SLAF.

According to the video footage the LTTE had even stopped a van supposed to be an ambulance with a flag after the air interdiction. Though the LTTE claimed that only a few houses were destroyed and one person killed due to the air attack, the number of casualties is much higher than what has claimed by the LTTE.

Despite denying any major damage due to the air attack, it was unusual for the LTTE not to make any comment

 to foreign news agencies in Colombo regarding the attack.

Even the foreign correspondents have not been able to contact the LTTE following this attack.

However, intelligence sources confirmed that the SLAF had taken the precise target, which was frequently visited by LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.

The SLAF had taken this target after gathering intelligence reports about this location for quite long period, but it was not certain whether the Tiger leader was there at the time of the attack.

Unofficial reports from the Wanni, however, confirmed that the LTTE had suffered heavy casualties.

This was the second devastating air attack on the LTTE in Vishvamadhu within one week. Even when the LTTE meeting place in Vishvamadu was attack on September 28, they did not make any comment about the casualties, while the SLAF had credible information about the damages caused to the LTTE.

However, continued air raids on Vishvamadhu, considerably a large area in the North of Puthukuduiruppu in the Mullaitivu district where LTTE activities were in full swing, caused major damages to one of their Improvised Explosive Devices manufacturing factories.

Though the LTTE kept mum on the issue a death notice about the LTTE Laboratory Chief, Puttoli in the pro-LTTE website few day after the incident confirmed the fact that their IED manufacturing facility has been damaged in the air attack.

All senior leaders of the LTTE had been summoned to participate in the funeral of Puttoli a few days after the air attack. Serious doubts had arisen within defence circles, whether the LTTE was engaged in manufacturing chemical weapons to be used in a decisive war fare in the Wanni.

Under these consequences, it is incumbent on the Security Forces to destroy Tiger military hardware that can be used against the citizens of the country irrespective of the fact the LTTE returned to the path of negotiations or not.

So far the LTTE had suffered heavily due to the on going air raids losing many of their military installations inside Wanni apart from the blows they are now having in the Forward Defence Lines from Mannar to Kokkuthuduvai and again in the Muhamalai, Kilali and Nagarkovil defence in the Jaffna peninsula.

Extensive fighting now continues from Mannar to Vavuniya and also from Vavuniya to Kokkuthuduvai between the Security Forces and the LTTE very clearly indicates that the LTTE desperately needs to defend their territory.

There is no doubt that troops manning the Defences in the Wanni, contrary to the position they had taken earlier, have now turned their role into a more active one operating ahead of the Forward Defence Lines from Mannar to Vavuniya to prevent LTTE infiltration into cleared areas.

The Sri Lanka Army has deployed the 57 Division based in Kalmadu as an offensive Division while deploying Task Force - 1 consists of few battalions from the North of Mannar and near the Giant tank in Mannar to prevent LTTE infiltration to cleared areas.

With both the LTTE and the Troops engaged in an active role from Mannar and Vavuniya line in the North of Vavuniya-Mannar main supply route, many confrontations have been reported in the area within the past two weeks.

The high morale of the troops means that they are operating far ahead of the FDLs to destroy the strong points of the LTTE in order to neutralise mortar and artillery attacks.

So far the Security Forces have been able to cause severe damage to the LTTE by conducting search operations ahead of the FDLs destroying their strong points and observation points.

The LTTE has deployed their reserve units to defend these territories as they are fully aware that the loss of their defences means they would lose the territory too.

But Security Forces continue tactics to draw LTTE cadres towards these defences and inflict heavy casualties to them. In this process Security Forces too suffer casualties due to indiscriminate mortar and artillery fire as they are not aware of the locations of the Security Forces.

Heavy fighting erupted in Thampanai, Periyathampanai, Pokkaravani, Thamparaveli, giant Tank areas for the past few weeks inflicting heavy damages to the LTTE.

The troops through satellite images have now observed the way the LTTE has located one of their heavy guns inside Madhu shrine premises to launch attacks on the Security Forces as they can use it to achieve many objectives.

If Security Forces retaliate the LTTE artillery fire from the Madhu shrine direction the LTTE would definitely take the advantage of the situation levelling charges against the Security Forces for damaging the religious edifice.

On the other hand, the artillery gun of the LTTE will be secured as they are sure that Security Forces would not go for such retaliation taking a risk, considering the religious sensitivity.

Therefore, the Church authorities should take measures to prevent the LTTE from using such tactics by exposing the LTTE acts to the international community.

However, the Security Forces now continue with their determined effort to thwart all efforts by the LTTE to infiltrate the defences and make inroads to the South through Silavathura and downwards to Colombo.

In this process, it has become vital for the Security Forces to destroy military capabilities and inflict heavy casualties to the LTTE prior to any military operations to clear the areas from the Tiger grip.

If the Security Forces just engaged in operations to capture territory, they will definitely face bigger resistance as the LTTE is capable of inflicting heavy damageto the troops advancing towards Wanni.

Security Forces will have to continue attrition on the Wanni to inflict heavy casualties through air raids and ambushes without moving to the territory hastily with the objective of capturing Wanni.

The LTTE is also facing severe blows in the Jaffna FDLs in Kilaly, Muhamalai and Nagarkovil as troops went ahead of the FDLs to destroy LTTE strong points which have become a serious threat to the troops operating in the Jaffna FDLs.

LTTE casualties were reported in the Jaffna FDLs with a large number of Strong Points destroyed due to the search operations conducted by the troops ahead of the FDLs.

The Sri Lanka Navy too has a pivotal role to play in the process of

starving the LTTE of arms and ammunition. So far the Navy too has done its role effectively, destroying many of the LTTE ships smuggling arms for the Tiger outfit.

At this point, it is vital to prevent the LTTE from accessing heavy artillery rounds and anti aircraft missiles as they desperately need them to strengthen their fight against the Security Forces now defending the FDLs in the

 Wanni and Jaffna.

According to intelligence sources LTTE is now seeking assistance from many nations and terror outfits to have artillery rounds and anti aircraft missiles to fulfil their requirements.

The destruction of three LTTE arms smuggling vessels has put the LTTE in a desperate situation. But things have to be continued in the same breath if the Forces need to see a successful end to their effort of liberating Tamil civilians from the LTTE.

The Navy too foiled many of the LTTE attempts to resupply their cadres now entrapped in the jungles in the North of Trincomalee with many of their boats destroyed in the Eastern seas.

There are two schools of thought on the issue of LTTE movements towards the East. One line of thinking is that Tiger cadres were making desperate attempts to evacuate their cadres entrapped in the East.

Another thinking on the LTTE sea movements is that they are trying to reinforce the Eastern cadres with the objective of create disturbances in the East at a time Security Forces are making inroads into LTTE strongholds in the Wanni.

The Navy with the support of the Security Forces have so far have thwarted all LTTE attempts to evacuate the Tiger cadres or to reinforce them.

However, the Defence circles are aware of the presence of LTTE intelligence operatives in the Eastern province.

The Security Forces and the Police should take effective measures to nab these intelligence cadres as they will pose a major threat to the peaceful situation prevailing in the Eastern province.

Security Forces are aware that many LTTE cadres have reunited with their families in the Eastern province. No measures have been taken to arrest them expecting that they won’t engage in terror activities.

Apart from this the Government has also taken measures to rehabilitate the surrendered LTTE cadres and provide them with job opportunities after rehabilitation.

As the LTTE is facing severe blows locally at the hands of the Security Forces, they have abandoned many of their mega events annually celebrated openly with the participation of all LTTE leaders.

For the first time in the LTTE history the LTTE had to confine the Thileepan commemoration to an in-house event. For the first time, there had been no commemoration of the death of Thileepan in the Eastern province despite the fact that Thileepan was a resident of Batticaloa.

Though the LTTE through their media said former Sea Tiger leader Soosai participated at the Thileepan memorial day in Puthukuduiruppu, serious doubts have been raised about his participation.

Following LTTE cadres’ arrests in UK and France the LTTE making attempts to raise its ugly head in Germany and Switzerland. Sources have confirmed that the LTTE had distributed leaflets to commemorate Thileepan in Switzerland and Germany.

The LTTE raised its head again in Switzerland as it does not come under the European Union. Therefore, the international community too should be aware of the fact that their countries being used by the terror outfit which is now being suppressed internationally.

The suppression of fund raising internationally is vital at a time the Security Forces are making a decisive attempt to weaken the LTTE at large prior to their advance to the Tiger stronghold in the Wanni.