LTTE targets VIPs on home turf:

LTTE intelligence operatives penetrate South

War and Peace The Defence Diary by Ranga Jayasuriya

The arrest of a Tiger suicide bomber and three accomplices in the rural hinterland of Tissamaharama is a pointer to an alarming new phenomenon. Pottu Amman's intelligence wing is expanding its tentacles beyond Colombo and targeting the VIPs in their home turf where they move freely with minimum-security escort.

As far as LTTE's operational record is concerned this is not a novel strategy. A female Tiger suicide bomber, Dhanu alias Anbu whose real name is Gayatri blew herself up killing the former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in a campaign rally in Tamil Nadu, far away from the LTTE usual operation theatre in the North-East on May 21, 1991.

A team of intelligence operatives including Sivarasan, the team leader, Subha, Murugan and Nalini spent months monitoring the movement of the Indian prime minister before carrying out his assassination. Confessions by Nalini, who now along with Murugan serve a life sentence in an Indian jail, says Dhanu and Subha planned a mock operation and sought permission for Dhanu to garland V. P. Singh in an earlier rally on May 7 but the organisers refused permission. Planning and successful implementation of a covert military operation in an alien land requires a greater ability to mingle with the local population, which needs a greater deal of local knowledge, language, dialect and sheer ability so as not to raise suspicion.

As for the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, the LTTE had these requirements on its side given cultural similarities and mutual affinity between Tamils in Tamil Nadu and their brethren in Jaffna. Suicide bombing has hitherto been a novel phenomenon in the Sub continent, though a couple of suicide attacks had been carried out previously by the LTTE who opted for this ultimate means of warfare on July 5, 1987 when the first black Tiger Miller drove a truck full of explosives to troops garrisoned at Nelli Adi Vidyalaya. This week, when the police arrested the suspected suicide bomber and three accomplices in Mahasenwewa in Tissamaharama, it was in a totally different context. Suicide bombings have been a frequent phenomenon in the subcontinent. The suspected suicide bomber whose name was withheld has been living in Mahasenpura for two months. Police seized two cyanide capsules in her possession, hidden in her hair. The woman tried to swallow the deadly pill, but was overpowered by police officers. The forged national identity card in her possession stated she was a resident of Matale, but police investigations revealed she is from Poonaryn and joined the LTTE at a very young age.

The information extracted from the woman led to the arrest of three accomplices, including another woman from Batticaloa. However, police could not find the explosive jacket, which suggest the operation was in its infancy when the police cracked it. According to past operational procedures of the LTTE, the suicide bomber gets her explosive jacket only a day before the operation. The woman did not disclose her target, though she had confessed to have visited Sella Katharagama, a famous religious site visited by a number of VIPs daily.

This is not an isolated incident. Two months ago, two LTTE members who were arrested while travelling in a bus in Polonnaruwa confessed that they were on a mission to assassinate Minister Maithripala Sirisena. Last week, two claymore mines were found in Kandy supposed to be planted by the LTTE targeting Minister and Defence Affairs spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella.

It was initially believed that these mines were captured by the LTTE when it overran the Mankulam military camp, reversing the security forces advance in the Jaya Sikuru operation in 1999.

Growing threat

All these developments point to a growing threat of LTTE intelligence operatives infiltrating Southern Sri Lanka which is hitherto in unchartered waters to the LTTE due to the difference in language and ever increasingly vigilant population, vigilantism itself is an inbuilt reaction to an increasing threat of LTTE operation in the South.

Due to the tightened security in Colombo, where most of the pre-ceasefire security measures are now in place, the LTTE operatives could move in to provinces where security is not that tight. Most politicians, even the most senior VVIPs move freely with little or no security in their home electorates. This will make the task of the suicide bomber easier. Though the rapport with the local populace is of importance to the political future of most of them, such conduct could invite disaster. The LTTE still has barriers to overcome if it is to successfully operate in the rural hinterland of Southern Sri Lanka. Of course, Sinhalese and Tamils have more things in common than differences. But, language, demography and increasing vigilance in the local populace remain obstacles for the LTTE.

But, once decided on a target, the LTTE intelligence wing works for years on intelligence gathering, securing logistical support and planning the operation. Fishing trawler owner, Christy alias Koti Christy was befriended by the LTTE intelligence operatives long before the failed LTTE attempt to attack a ship carrying two MI 17 helicopters from Ukraine. LTTE financed him to buy two trawlers, from one of which anchored in deep sea, the sea Tigers embarked on the failed mission.

The LTTE suicide bomber who attempted on the life of Army Commander Lt Gen Sarath Fonseka lived with a Tamil driver and his Sinhalese wife in their house in Wariyapola. The male suspect, a driver of a lorry frequented the uncleared area for a business purpose. He was approached by the LTTE intelligence operatives when he was produced before an LTTE court over a road accident.

The intelligence operative had promised to abort his trial and pay an undisclosed amount in return for his work for the LTTE. It was over one year since this first interaction that the LTTE entrusted the driver with providing logistical support to the female suicide bomber whose identity still remains unknown.

Dirty work

The LTTE could also outsource its dirty work. Intelligence sources recently informed a middle ranking Army officer who is involved in special operations in Jaffna that the LTTE operatives had approached the underworld gangs in Colombo to offer a price over his death.

This is part of the twin strategy of the LTTE. It keeps heat on security forces using its civilian militia Makkal Padai or People's Force who explodes LTTE supplied claymore mines and fire blind shots at the security forces. The primary objective of this is to restrict the mobility of the security forces and gradually confine them to barracks. This is how the LTTE gradually took control in Jaffna in the mid' 80s finally succeeding confining troops to the Jaffna Fort. The other front of the LTTE strategy is the elimination of high profile military and political personnel there by depriving the Sri Lankan State of leadership, both political and military.