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War and Peace: The Defence Diary by Ranga Jayasuriya

Gen Sarath Fonseka was never an armchair general. That is, exactly, why the Tigers hated him and were all out to take him out.

Two weeks ago, when I met him at the Army Head Quarters, and the conversation moved to VIP security, he said the Army, that week, had made an arrest of an LTTE operative on suspicion of espionage.

The modus operandi of that aborted mission was to plant a magnetic bomb in his vehicle and detonate it using a remote control device.

But Gen Fonseka knew, though one was in the net, many more were at large and indeed told me publicity on the arrest could deter further arrests.

And terror struck the heart of the defence establishment on Tuesday afternoon. A pregnant woman who turned herself into a human bomb blew herself up, targeting the Commander of the Sri Lanka Army.

The woman suicide bomber, Anoja Kunagethirasa(21) from Pawarasakulam, Vavuniya had registered herself at the maternity clinic as a wife of a civil clerk employed in the Army Head Quarters. She attended the clinic for three consecutive weeks, according to the records at the military hospital.

On Tuesday, dressed in blue coloured shalwar kameez and a three quarter trouser, she entered the Army Headquarters premises through, the security point at the entrance. She used a bus shuttling between the military hospital and the entrance to go to the military hospital. But,unseen to the sentries in the check point, she had two Kilo grammes of ball-bearings (iron balls) and deadly plastic explosives hidden beneath her dress.

It is not clear whether she attended the clinic that day, but she succeeded waiting there near a bus parked opposite the military hospital.

The suicide bomber waited there with the rest of the women, near a parked bus which would take them to the entrance.

Gen Fonseka goes to his official residence for lunch. And for that journey, as it goes through a high security area, he did not use escort vehicles, apart from Motorbikes.

As commander's Peoget vehicle escorted by four motorbikes, two in the front and two behind, approached, the suicide bomber, moved from the rest of the ladies, and walked towards the commanders car.

Two outriders of the commander, Corporals Yakandawa and Viraj blocked the woman's path. The woman fell, blowing herself up, sending fragments of iron balls all around. Corporal Yakandawa and four of the commanders body guards were killed instantly. Corporal Viraj died after admition to the hospital.

Had it not been for the timely action of the two outriders, the commander's vehicle could have taken the full brunt of the explosion.

Gen. Fonseka was severely injured and was subjected to three surgeries.

He regained consciousness on Thursday and spoke a few words. He has said he could recall the moment of the explosion. His condition has shown improvement. He could however have to spend a few more days in the Intensive Care Unit, according to his doctors.

The suicide blast has cost nine lives, including injuries to several civilians. On Friday, A female army soldier succumbed to injuries sustaied due to the explosion.

Mystery remains over how the woman suicide bomber gained a pass to visit the maternity clinic. Police have arrested the owner of a lodge in Kotahena where the suicide bomber had stayed. The owner has said that the would be suicide bomber told him she was looking for a job in the Middle East. A day before she blew herself up, she has met two men.

The CID is also investigating the last call the suicide bomber was supposed to have receive a few minutes before the explosion.

A pieces of a SIM card believed to be used by the woman had been found and investigators plan to reconstruct the SIM and look in to the suicide bomber's phone contacts.

The attack at the heart of the country's defence establishment opens up more questions. Gen Fonseka, undoubtedly the most hated by the Tigers and top in the LTTE hit list, didn't have a bullet proof vehicle, other than an antiquated BMW, which he did not use for understandable reasons. This is against a backdrop where the political leaders, some with apparently no terrorist threat on their lives are protected with a bullet proof entourage.

Gen Fonseka was never an armchair general. Out of Thirty five years of his military service, he spent 20 years in the battle front, where he was wounded twice, first in the Operation Balawegaya in 1991 and then in the Operation Jayasikuru in 1998.

When Gen Fonseka assumed duties as the 18th commander of the Sri Lankan Army on December 5th last year, he said the Tigers could have a clear assessment of him. "Then what is his assessment of the LTTE?" one reporter asked. Gen Fonseka's answer was straight forward.

He said the LTTE could militarily be defeated. Statistically speaking Tigers had 7000-8,000 cadres, half of them are inexperienced fitted against 120,000 personnel of the Sri Lankan Army.

Then why did the forces fail so far in that endeavour? He said it's because of the poor performance of some officers who failed the army.

Once assuming duties as the Commander of the Army, he acted swiftly to make sure that best officers would receive promotions and special appointments. He gave meritocracy the prominence over seniority in the recent transfers and appointments. Though these promotions angered certain sections in the security forces, they were granted clearly with in the Officers Service Regulations, which provides the procedure for the officers appointments and transfers.

Gen Fonseka was a professional soldier and never hesitated to speak out on some political decisions which would have compromised the national security if they were ever implemented.

As the Jaffna Security Commander in 2002, he was the first to rule out dismantling of the High Security Zones, when the issue was making rounds at political discourses during the Wickremesinghe Administration.

He said undue restraint of security forces could only be an incentive for terrorism. When the Tigers steeped up attacks against security forces soon after President Mahinda Rajapakse's electoral win, he convinced the political leadership that limited military operations were needed to contain rising violence.

Gen Fonseka assumed duties at a time the average soldier was confused with the absence of clarity in the orders coming from the military top brass. Gen Fonseka ordered troops to be pro active and retaliate in case of an attack.

Within weeks troops brought the situation under control.

The suicide mission was a reminder to the international community of the dreadful past of the Tigers. But the fact that the LTTE decided to risk whatevers left in its already diminishing international reputation for this mission is indicative of the importance Prabhakaran has placed on the head of Gen Fonseka.

Gen Fonseka is a morale boost to the ordinary soldiers.

Had the Tigers succeeded in its attempt, it would have been two birds in one shot.

Not only the elimination of Gen Fonseka, the Tigers would have made large sections of the soldiers demoralised without firing a single shot, through a single suicide mission.

Black Tigers have carried out 240 suicide missions since the first black Tiger Miller drew an explosive laden truck to an school, where the troops advancing in the Operation Liberation had stayed in Nelliadi, Jaffna in 1987.

But this is the first time, the Tigers have used a pregnant woman as a human bomb. This is evidence to the sheer lack of respect to human life in planning and executing of the LTTE's military strategy.

The suicide mission in the heart of the country's defence establishment required a retaliation, at least to make the Tigers notice that the government had run out patience.

It should be the case with any self respecting government.

And, it had an excuse same day afternoon, when a Naval craft came under the fire from the LTTE.

The Navy said four suicide boats were also seen in the vicinity.

The increased LTTE activities in the sea off Sampur, threatened the security of the Trincomalee harbour. During the period of the ceasefire, the Tigers gradually built up presence in Sampur.

But, on Tuesday afternoon, there was no reason for further restraint, which proved to be a compromise on the national security.

A three pronged assault was directed at the identified LTTE camps in the area for two days. The Israeli built Kafir aircraft bombed the LTTE bases, as Navy Dovra gunboat pounded the sea Tiger bases and Army directed long range artillery fire at the identified LTTE locations.

The attack, more than any thing else was a clear warning to the LTTE that it had crossed the red line.

The government later described the attack as a deterrent measure to contain future LTTE military attacks in the area.

The LTTE apologists and some foreign scribes cried fowl of mass displacement of civilians in Sampur. The BBC website reported of a exodus of refugees fleeing the air strike. It said 40,000 people were fleeing their villages, but what it did not know was that Sampur had only 16,600 people.

The LTTE is very much aware that these foreign correspondents who had no local knowledge and been parachuted to some unknown land could easily be manipulated, because all what these guys want is a "sexy" story. But that comes at the expense of the country's reputation.

This has brought the realisation to the government of the need of a counter propaganda campaign. A 24 hour information unit on the defence affairs will be set up, hopefully by next week, to inform Diplomatic corp and press on the developments on the peace and security fronts, government's Defence Affairs spokesman and Minister Keheliye Rabukwelle told this writer.

The LTTE complained of civilian locations being bombed.

But, the SLMM chief Ulf Henriccsen, who visited Sampur on Thursday after the government stopped its military action had a different version of the LTTE.

"Sri Lanka Air force and Navy had definitely targeted military positions and offices of the LTTE. Some collateral damage to property had taken place as some of the LTTE offices were situated in populated areas. Such collateral damages were not significant," he told the Peace Secretariat Chief Dr Palitha Kohona on Friday.

In his estimation, approximately 10 to 12 people may have died. He did not believe that 16 people had died as had been claimed in some reports.

As for mass exodus of people from the Sampur area, he has said that these were grossly exaggerated.

"It is normal for people for move away from military targets at times of conflict. Since the bombing ceased people were slowly returning to their homes and villages, he has told Dr. Kohona making observations on his visit.

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