Prabha ailing and hiding!

Prabhakaran, leader of LTTE has become a virtual prisoner because of bombardments by Sri Lanka Air Force fighter jets.

Prabhakaran knows very well that in the very near future, a Bunker Buster Bomb will land on his well constructed bunker. Can he then escape? Read below for the effect of bunker busters.

Underground bunkers
He lives in an extravagant underground bunker constructed to his instructions with air conditioning and power generators. The bunker is 30-feet deep and divided into two sectors. The bunker has a tunnel which connects to a similar bunker complex.

Similar bunkers have been constructed for LTTE Intelligence Chief Pottu Amman and Sea Wing Leader Soosai.

All the above bunker complex locations have been declared as highly restricted zones where civilians are not allowed to enter. Only authorised LTTE leaders and cadres can access these restricted zones.

LTTE’s former political leader, the late Thamil Selvam lived in a highly restricted zone, but according to ground intelligence and air surveillance, Sri Lanka Air Force fighter jets were able to air bombard and kill Thamil Selvam.

Prabhakaran lives during the day in a bunker and he come out from the bunker only at night time. It is just like seeing the full moon on a full moon day.

Prabhakaran’s day to day life
Prabhakaran has mentioned to his cadres that “if you are a guerilla you should have physical fitness.” When Prabhakaran adhered to the same theory he had physical fitness, but after his illness and for security purposes he was confined only to his bunkers. When he attended the late Thamil Selvam’s funeral, his ill health could be seen from the fact that he had gained weight.

Prabharakran wakes up around 5:00 a.m. to drink a cup of tea without sugar or milk. And, at the start of his work around 6:30 a.m., his close aide submits a detailed report of the battle front. From a powerful radio set he gives instructions to his field commanders; he does not talk from the radio set but one of his aides communicates on behalf of his leader. If he thinks that communications are not secure, he communicates using satellite phones at night.

At around 7:00 a.m. he has his breakfast, following his doctor’s instructions and after breakfast he again drinks a cup of tea without sugar and milk.

For lunch, his aide prepares food without salt which he doesn’t like at all but he is compelled to have food without salt because of his sickness. He has become a vegetarian because of his illness.

He has light dinners - mostly kurakkan bread and some gravy.

Prabhakaran suffering high blood pressure (hypertension)

Three doctors attend to Prabhakaran. These doctors continually monitor Prabhakaran’s health condition because Prabhakaran suffers from hypertension (Blood Pressure.) Twice a day doctors check his blood pressure.

Doctors also continuously check his blood as well as urine.
High blood pressure (hypertension) is designated as either essential (primary) hypertension or secondary hypertension and is defined as a consistently elevated blood pressure exceeding 140/90 mm Hg.

In essential hypertension (95% of people with hypertension), no specific cause is found, while secondary hypertension (5% of people with hypertension) is caused by an abnormality somewhere in the body, such as in the kidney, adrenal gland, or aortic artery.

High salt intake, obesity, lack of regular exercise, excessive alcohol or coffee intake, and smoking may all adversely affect the outlook of the health of an individual with hypertension.

High blood pressure is called ‘the silent killer’ because it often causes no symptoms for many years, even decades, until it finally damages certain critical organs.

Poorly controlled hypertension ultimately can cause damage to blood vessels in the eye, thickening of the heart muscle and heart attacks, hardening of the arteries (arteriosclerosis), kidney failure and strokes.

Heightened public awareness and screening of the population are necessary to detect hypertension early enough so it can be treated before critical organs are damaged.

Lifestyle adjustments in diet and exercise and compliance with medication regimes are important factors in determining the outcome for people with hypertension.

Several classes of anti–hypertensive medications are available, including ACE inhibitors, ARB drugs, beta–blockers, diuretics, calcium channel blockers, alpha–blockers, and peripheral vasodilators.

Most anti–hypertensive medications can be used alone or in combination: some are used only in combination; some are preferred over others in certain specific medical situations; and some are not to be used (contraindicated) in other situations.

The goal of therapy for hypertension is to bring the blood pressure down to 140/85 in the general population and to even lower levels in diabetics, people with certain chronic kidney diseases.

Screening, diagnosing, treating, and controlling hypertension early in its course can significantly reduce the risk of developing strokes, heart attacks, or kidney failure.

Normal blood pressure is below 120/80; blood pressure between 120/80 and 139/89 is called ‘pre–hypertension,’ and a blood pressure of 140/90 or above is considered high. According to a source (who cannot be disclosed), Prabhakaran’s blood pressure has increased to 190/120 and pressure doesn’t come down below 100.

Doctors have prescribed Losartan 100 mg twice a day with very clear instructions not to have any meals with salt. Sources say Prabhakaran’s medicine has been changed to Nisidipine 40mg given to him twice a day.

According to my source, Prabhakaran is undergoing fasting blood sugar tests as well as urine tests, but apparently the reports are not favourable to his health.

Doctors repeatedly advise him to have a rest, but how can he have a rest when the army is advancing on five fronts to LTTE controlled areas, while the Sri Lanka Air Force fighter jets bomb LTTE strategic locations.

The million dollar question that arises in Prabhakaran’s mind is how sensitive LTTE information is leaked to Security Forces? He inquired and ordered LTTE Intelligence Chief Pottu Amman to conduct an investigation but, up to now, a productive result has not been furnished to Prabhakaran by Pottu Amman.

Prabhakaran’s eye sight gets weaker day by day and within two years he has changed three spectacles.

Prabhakaran is guarded by a cadre of around 270 from the Imran Pandian Brigade, all of whom are relatives of Prabharakaran and his wife. They were specially trained for close protection. These bodyguards are allocated in the inner perimeters and outer perimeters. The inner perimeter layer has three circles and the outer perimeter four circles. The outer perimeter allocates snipers and around the bunker complex a 3 km radius is heavily mined while LTTE has constructed anti-aircraft guns around the complex as well.

Prabhakaran communicates with his senior leaders using three satellite phones. Since whatever he receives from his field commanders is not good news, he is suffering tremendous stress which is causing him to be ill.

He makes several telephone calls via Starlight phones to Tamil Nadu politicians and he has urged Nadumaran and Vicko to organise protest campaigns against the Sri Lanka Military, which is advancing further into LTTE controlled areas. He has further requested Tamil Nadu for weapons and explosives. While smuggling is already in process, he wants more weapons.

The main reason he is confined to a bunker is after Thamil Selvam, the former political head and LTTE Military Head Charles were killed by the Army and Air Force.

Prabhakaran’s movements are extremely secretive, and he moves to another bunker only at night time.

Prabhakaran attended LTTE Thamil Selvam’s funeral to pay his last respects and he stayed only fifteen minutes. Well informed sources said prior to Prabhakaran’s arrival, his advance security arrived and moved all civilians except Thamil Selvam’s relatives and LTTE hierarchy. All LTTE leaders and Thamil Selvam’s relatives underwent a body check by Prabhakaran’s security.

When Prabhakaran’s blue eyed boy, LTTE’s Military Intelligence Head Charles died, Prabhakaran didn’t attend to pay his last respects due to security reasons.

Charles’s death was a shock to Prabhakaran because he knew very well the enemy was within his controlled areas. Another surprise for Prabhakaran was Air Force’s accurate air bombing of LTTE training installations, leaders gathering points and weapons and ammunition storages.

Prabhakaran has ordered all INGO’s and NGO’s to shift from Mullaithivu to Killinochchi because he suspects the above organisations provide vital intelligence information to Sri Lanka Security Forces.

No LTTE cadre has access to Prabhakaran. The one and only person who has access to Prabhakaran is LTTE Intelligence Chief Pottu Amman. Although Pottu Amman visits Prabhakaran, he is compelled to hand over his 9mm pistol to Prabhakaran and his body is frisked by Prabhakaran’s security.

As I mentioned last week, the LTTE has given military training to school children. Here I display a picture of school children wearing LTTE military uniform at their passing out function. While children are recruited to the military, Prabhakaran regularly speaks to his daughter who is overseas and inquires about her studies.

When media from the south calls LTTE military spokesperson or its political head and inquires after Prabhakaran’s health, they deny because if they admit it, it will demoralise the rest of the LTTE cadres and the Tamil diaspora.