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Ruthlessly
efficient Air Force vow to clip Tigers’ claws
 Sri
Lanka Air force bombed an LTTE clandestine radio station at 4.30pm
and completely destroyed it yesterday. This is the first occasion
LTTE failed to broadcast Prabakaran’s speech on Heroes Day,
inaugurated in 1982.
On
25th November morning at around 7.00am Sri Lanka Air Force Kfir
and MIG squadrons were very busy with their commanding officer giving
instructions to young pilots about their targets.
They wore their green overalls, picked up their gloves and helmets,
punched each other playfully and blessed each other before their
mission.
They climbed the ladder and sat in the fully computerized cockpits.
The two supersonic jets took off, and within a few minutes these
jets, traveling at speeds faster than sound, reached their targets.
The fighter jets pounded on the target located at Dharmapuram, North
East of Kilinochchi, at 7:20 a.m.
The moment the air force bombed, the LTTE switched off their communications,
and their vehicles moved towards the location.
Intelligence was well informed of through sources in Kilinochchi
that the target was accurate. They were told that satellite modems
and satellite up linking facilities had been destroyed. Several
senior cadres died in the bombing, but LTTE leadership refrained
from publishing their names and ranks.
If the LTTE revealed the damage due to the bombing it would have
demoralized the rest of LTTE cadres as well as the Tamil diaspora,
funding the LTTE.
Air force sources described the targeted area as the location from
where the LTTE has been coordinating its international terrorist
activities. It is also known to be a highly secured place which
the LTTE leaders frequently visited. It was equipped with sophisticated
satellite communication devices.
The Air Force bombing would have a devastating impact on the LTTE’s
intelligence mechanisms since the rebels kept the place a top secret.
The falling apart of the terror outfit’s secret service has
been quite evident when considering the air targets achieved by
the Air Force during the recent past,
“Sri Lanka Air Force fighter jets have bombed and continue
to bomb LTTE hideouts and military assets according to ground and
air intelligence. “We will destroy their chain of command”
a fighter pilot said. He further said their targets were accurate,
citing LTTE political wing head Thamilselvam’s death. He said
they will take Prabakaran one day.
Sri Lanka Air Force senior officials said they were bombing purely
on ground intelligence and added that ground and air surveillance
would continue until the Air Force achieved its targets.
LTTE is a centralized terrorist organization and all important decisions
are taken by and according to Prabakaran’s wishes. Defence
analysts say that when he (LTTE Leader) decided to kill former Indian
Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, LTTE ideologist Anton Balasingham objected
but Prabakaran didn’t shelve plans.
We must also not forget that the LTTE has its own air wing. Their
aircraft managed to infiltrate Sri Lanka air space and carryout
bombings.
Some media published pictures of the LTTE aircraft. They brought
aircraft parts during the ceasefire and assembled them in Sri Lanka
and modified them to be able to land on a very thin run way.
The mastermind of LTTE’s air wing was Shanker who was an aeronautics
engineer. After Shanker’s demise Rathnam Master undertook the
air wing. Rathnam Master is a code name of the LTTE. His exact name
is not known even within the LTTE. He speaks fluent English. He
studied aeronautical engineering in Australia and was trained as
a pilot in USA.
At the moment the LTTE has 10 pilots who all come under Rathnam
Master. There was speculation that the LTTE air wing was headed
by Prabakaran’s son Charles Anthony but that is not true. Charles
Anthony specialized in information technology.
Eight LTTE cadres from Kilinochchi went to Australia and studied
software development and engineering at Monash University. In 2003
they returned to Sri Lanka with satellite modems, laptops etc.
Two pro-LTTE web sites are updated by the above mentioned cadres
who specialise in IT.
There were also using hacking software brought from USA to try and
hack and infiltrate Military and strategically important places
such as Air Port, Port and Power Plants. Defence officials said
intelligence had gathered information about cyber war fare and they
took necessary precautions. Elsewhere, LTTE sleeping cadres sprung
in to action and exploded a claymore mine in Batticaloa, killing
a police inspector and a constable.
Intelligence had in advance informed the security forces of such
an attack. In Trincomalee the army arrested 32 LTTE cadres, who
were sleeping. A senior military officer said that civilians were
giving information to the army.
In any terrorist organization in the world there are active cadres
and sleeping cadres. While active cadres are active sleeping cadres
act as civilians and help the active cadres by supplying logistics
and are part of their intelligence. When active cadres are killed
or arrested by security forces, sleeping cadres are activated.
To identify sleeping cadres the only way is to win the hearts and
minds of the public. Only then will the public come forward and
provide information to security forces. To win the hearts and minds
of people the government should provide basic necessities to the
public.
The army’s current main aim is to push towards Kilinochchi.
Despite LTTE mortar and artillery fire, troops are heading towards
North Mannar and Vavuniya. As I mentioned last week the army has
been firing artillery accurately at LTTE positions. In Jaffna Muhamale
and Nagarkovil, small army groups have infiltrated LTTE positions
and destroyed its bunkers killing rebel cadres. The army is mounting
pressure from Jaffna, Mannar and Vavuniya on the LTTE.
In recent attacks the LTTE attacked farmers. Four civilians including
a woman were shot dead on 26th November at Mahawilachchiya village
bordering Wilpaththu Sanctuary, Mahawilachchiya Police said.
According to Police sources, terrorists had opened small arms fire
at the villagers and fled into the jungle area, bordering Wilpaththu
Sanctuary.
Police and security forces are now engaged in extensive search and
clearing operations in the area.
More army, police and Home Guards have been allocated for security
in border villages in Anuradhapura, Wilpaththu and the Welioya region
Army Commander Lt Gen Sarath Fonseka declared an amnesty for deserter
soldiers from 12th November to 25th November. 4,369 soldiers who
deserted their place of employment reported to their respective
units.
On 25th November 52 Special Forces soldiers reported to their regiment.
A senior officer said in the history of the Army this was the first
time such a large number of soldiers rejoined the Army.
In recruitment drives in 2007, 29,000 have joined the army as soldiers.
They are undergoing six month training. At the end of the year the
army would have recruited 30,000 soldiers in total.
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