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Militarily hard pressed Tigers turn to terrorism
 On
January 31, 2001, a blue elf truck packed with explosives entered
a high security zone and rammed the Central Bank in Colombo. Many
people died and many more were wounded.
A
postmortem on the attack revealed that a permanent checkpoint had
been removed.
In
the Galadari Hotel bomb explosion, an investigation once again revealed
the removal of a permanent checkpoint near Lake House was the cause
of the security lapse.
Open
sesame
A senior Military officer said that Colombo is in grave danger,
because 23 permanent security roadblocks have been removed. He further
said that the purpose of setting up these permanent security roadblocks
was to check heavy vehicles entering Colombo and also to keep a
record of them, since random road checks won’t be effective
to keep a track of heavy vehicles.
In many instances permanent security roadblocks have effectively
prevented smuggling of explosives and arms into Colombo city.
There are LTTE cadres with Sinhala and Muslim identity cards roaming
in Colombo and the suburbs. Intelligence officials said that the
main targets of the LTTE are places of economic importance such
as the airport, port and power plants. They will target civilians
as well, that is the nature of terrorism.
There are committed suicide bombers roaming around Colombo till
they get their targets. They tried to eliminate Minister Douglas
Devananda but failed.
On November 21, this column clearly mentioned that the LTTE will
target VIPs and civilians. And as mentioned, the LTTE exploded a
bomb in Nugegoda and attacked a civilian bus in Anuradhpura district
with claymore mines.
Whenever the LTTE is weakened militarily, they target innocent civilians.
That is the nature of the LTTE.
Former LTTE political head late Thamilselvan said “LTTE is
now in defensive action” in his last press statement to pro
LTTE web site Tamilnet. Even Thamilselvan couldn’t escape from
accurate aerial bombardment on his heavily fortified compartment,
based on ground intelligence. Even today, the LTTE leadership wonders
how Thamilselvan’s location was leaked to military intelligence.
The Sri Lanka Army is a legitimate conventional army, and in the
past two decades, the army battled the LTTE as a conventional Army.
The army won as well as lost battles. The reason the army was defeated
was because military strategies of previous commanders were not
effective to counter the LTTE.
Strategies, tactics vary with situations
Anywhere in the world, an army confronting a terrorist organization
implements different strategies and tactics to fight it.
For example, the British army’s SAS (Special Airborne Service)
commandoes battled the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and weakened
them militarily. After that, the Shin Fein, political arm of the
IRA agreed to negotiations. Presently, in Iraq and Afghanistan,
US forces understand very well that Al Qaeda is there, and has deployed
Delta Force (special force) and Marines.
The Sri Lankan Military fully understood the situation. Therefore,
the army specially trained their officers and soldiers to battle
the LTTE, day by day, with different strategies and tactics, .
Such strategies and tactics implemented by the army have put the
LTTE on the defensive and at the moment very limited offensives
are conducted by the LTTE. Their main concern is defense. And targeting
economic places and civilians
One of the strategies and tactics is that well trained small groups
of soldiers infiltrate LTTE territory and attack their bunkers and
gathering points with RPG (rocket propel grenades), LPMG and small
arms and kill and wound a maximum number of Tigers. This is just
one of many tactics which change according to the ground and weather
situation.
In Kilinochchi, Mulathivu and North Mannar, roadblocks have been
set up and random checking implemented by the LTTE.
Civilians living in those areas are being mobilised too, for the
final battle by the LTTE leadership. During the three-year-long
cease-fire, the LTTE trained civilians and armed them to battle
Sri Lanka security forces.
Tigers low on mortars and artillery
A senior military officer in Jaffna said that the LTTE was not firing
any artillery now. It is the same situation in North Vavuniya. They
are attacking only from Madhu, on and off.
A senior military officer said “the LTTE is not firing artillery
on Jaffna because they are low on ammunition and are saving them
for their last battle. Intelligence has found that 81mm mortars
are being issued on a ration basis”
Retired Army Commander General Hamilton Wanasinghe said “this
is the first time the LTTE has lost the North and East and is confined
only to Killinochchi, Mulathivu.”
When I asked him about the situation in the North and East when
the IPKF was here, he said that the IPKF couldn’t completely
control North and East, mainly because of lack of ground knowledge.
When Operation Jayasikuru (operation victory assured) was in progress
and troops reached Mankulam, Operation Ranagosha (battle cry) was
implemented by then Vavuniya Security Forces Commander Maj. Gen.
Lionel Balagalle to capture Madhu area and North Mannar.
But at the time, there wasn’t any confrontation with the LTTE
in Madhu and Vedithalthivu and the LTTE withdrew all their cadres
to the north, to face the Jayasikuru operation. Operation Ranagosha
was implemented on a political agenda. There was no strategy or
tactics in that operation.
Picking off the Tigers
57 Division Brig. Jagath Dias is leading his troops towards Madhu,
while 58 Division Brig. Shavindra Fernando is heading towards Mannar
North.
6 Gemunu Watch troops ambushed LTTE cadres in Andampan and fired
artillery at an LTTE reinforcement movement. Intercepted LTTE communications
said eight LTTE cadres died. At the same time, in Vilatikulam, Special
Forces ambushed a group of LTTE cadres. Seven LTTE cadres died in
the confrontation.
Vavuniya Security Force Commander Maj. Gen. Jagath Jayasuriya is
now the overall commander for operations in Madhu, Vavuniya, Vavuniya
North, West and North Mannar.
“On Monday, confrontations in Mannar, Jaffna, Vavuniya, Welioya
resulted in 24 LTTE cadres being killed. Eight soldiers were injured
as well,” the Media Centre for National Security said. A military
source said, “when the LTTE tried to enter Kilali and Muhamalai
FDL they eliminated many LTTE cadres.”
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