Anton Balasingham's death leaves a void, replacement difficult

Navy mauls Sea Tiger squad

The Tiger outfit is losing its self acclaimed international recognition as liberators of the Tamil community as Tamil people are fast distancing from the organisation with the realisation of the fact that the LTTE was the only reason behind their suffering.

With the bloody beating they are getting from ground, sea and air against their terror network spread across the globe, they are now in desperate need of an international image boost as they have deprived all the chances of appearing before international community either as liberators of the Tamil community or as a ruthless terror organisation.

The widely publicised internal rift within the organisation for the secondary level leadership apparently between Pottu Amman and Soosai and the low morale of the Tiger cadres due to their constant defeats in the face of Security Forces' retaliatory attacks have left no chances for them to have their much needed recognition.

The death of the LTTE theoretician Anton Balasingham, has truly become an irreparable loss to the outfit as they haven't got any such leadership who could play a key role to convince the international community about their cause covering up its real face of terrorism.

It has been proved beyond doubt that Political Leader S. P. Thamilselvan is ineffective playing its role of giving political face to its bloody battle with Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran deciding to push him back to defend the Bunker lines in the Pooneryn sector.

Though the situation within the LTTE organisation remains highly unfavourable, they are again making a desperate attempt to raise their head showing the outside world that they still remain strong and united despite the picture the outside world is having on them.

Navy finds bombs,military gears and medical supplies after sea battle-Pulmudai

The reappearance of Sea Tiger leader Soosai to mark 20th death anniversary of Thileepan is also seen as a desperate attempt by the LTTE leadership to show off their unity within the organisation, as they are well aware such a campaign is a must to regain the Tamil community's faith in them.

Soosai, in his reappearance before public has admitted the unfortunate incident he had to face in Mullaitivu and the death of his five year old son. But, intelligence sources raised doubts about the Soosai reappearance in a fully recovered position, as sources indicated that his fitness was not quite up to the mark after his unfortunate accident.

However, it is obvious that his reappearance after keeping mum on the incident for nearly two months, was done in desperation as the outfit faced severe repercussions due to non revelation of the true facts behind the incident involving Sea Tiger leader Soosai.

The incident which the Sea Tiger leader had faced seems to be true as even Security Forces accept him as an active person in the field unlike other Tiger leaders. The only doubt raised about the incident is as to why Sea Tiger leader Soosai has taken his five year old son on this naval exercise.

Though Tiger outfit make desperate attempts to make up its lost image through this reappearance, the Sea Tigers faced yet another blow in the sea in their bid to evacuate the Tiger cadres trapped in the Peraru and Kumburupiddi jungles in the North of Trincomalee.

The alerted Naval troops detected the sea movement of the LTTE as three clusters of Sea Tiger boats including suicide boats sailing towards the sea from Nayaru in the South of Mullaitivu.

As the Sea Tigers launched 20 boats, the Dvoras patrolling the sea off Pulmoddai blocked the Tiger boats as they were heading towards Poduwakattu, in Peraru jungles.

Ten Dvoras from Northern and Eastern Naval Headquarters supported by 12 boats from the Sea borne Squadron surrounded the flotilla of Tiger boats in the sea South of Pulmoddai around 11 pm on Thursday night.

Despite the reappearance of Sea Tiger leader Soosai on Wednesday evening the Navy heard Cheliyan who took over the command of the Sea Tiger Squadron commanding the flotilla of boats heading towards Puduwakattu.

The Navy foiled the attempts by the Sea Tigers to land in Puduwakattu with the support of the Sea borne Squadron covering the landside while 20 Dvora gun boats from Northern and Eastern Naval Headquarters firing at the flotilla of Tiger boats in the South of Pulmoddai.

As sea battle continues, Naval troops in the ground ambushed nearly a hundred Tiger cadres heading towards the shore to board the boats heading towards Puduwakattu thwarting their attempts to flee towards Mullaitivu by sea.

The confrontations continued

for nearly two hours resulting in the death of one sailor.According to the Navy the Tiger cadres have also suffered heavy damages due to Naval fire.

In the sea battle, three LTTE boats including one suicide boat and one attack craft destroyed due to Naval fire while four other boats were seriously damaged compelling the Sea Tigers to halt their mission and flee towards Nayaru along with their damaged boats.

In the fierce sea battle, a self-styled LTTE "Lieutenant Colonel" Nishanthan was also confirmed killed along with 18 to 30 Sea Tiger cadres.

According to Navy LTTE leaders Wijekanth and Moris in Puduwakattu and Kumburupiddi areas were present along with the group of around 100 Tiger cadres reached towards the beach.

It is now clear, though dispersed as ground troops conduct cordon and search operations in the Peraru and Kumburupiddi jungles in search of fleeing Tiger cadres from Thoppigala as they are still operating in the jungles until they get a chance to flee towards Wanni.

But LTTE continuously failed in their attempts since February this year to flee towards Wanni by sea due to the blockade from the Naval troops. During this year alone, LTTE had made four attempts to evacuate their trapped cadre along this route.

On 12th February, Sea Tigers launched their boats towards Puduwakattu area, but the Navy's Fast Attack Craft averted their mission by destroying one sea tiger boat along with cadres.

Once again on 27th February, another such attempt was thwarted by the Navy when they attacked and destroyed two (02) Sea Tiger boats off Pulmoddai.

Tigers failed again on 12th August when they were turned back when a Sea Tiger boat was destroyed. The strong message raised from incident is that Tiger presence is still there in the Eastern theatre though they are not capable of having big impact on the Security Forces.

However, the LTTE, if successful in replenishing these Tiger cadres trapped in the jungles in the North of Trincomalee would definitely lead to a disadvantageous situation for the Security Forces as they can destabilise the East with the presence of limited number of cadres.The apparent intention of this sea movement was also aimed at providing foods and medical supplies to the Tiger cadres still in the jungles in the North of Trincomalee as Navy during a search operation conducted in the Sea off Pulmoddai recovered large stocks of food and medical items floating in the sea.

To cover up their defeat in the LTTE made yet another attempt by posting false news item on the pro-LTTE Tamilnet website saying that three of the Navy Dvoras were destroyed in the attack.

But Navy spokesman Commander D. K. P. Dassanayaka denied the Tamilnet story saying non of the Navy boats were damaged in the sea battle. Their intention was to convey the message to the Tamil diaspora across the globe, that they are still powerful in the sea and capable of defeating the Navy.

This was yet another attempt to regain their lost prestige with three of their arms smuggling ships destroyed in the international waters due to a surprise move by the Sri Lanka Navy. They have to cover up this humiliating defeat by any other means as it has made detrimental effects on the Tiger fund raising activities.

Therefore, they are in need of an international image boost by all means as they did it by launching air attack on Katunayake Air Base in March this year. But LTTE is well aware such attempt is extremely difficult at this juncture due to strong security measures taken by the Sri Lanka Air Force by installing radar systems to detect their aircraft.

Under these any failed air raid would definitely cause suicidal effects on the already damaged image of the LTTE. But the Tiger outfit has not confined their attempts to boost their image only through these events. The incident unfolded within the past few weeks very clearly indicated to which direction the LTTE was heading to.

The claymore mine explosions in Jaffna in Trincomalee and in Ampara indicate that LTTE once again reversed to their ruthless acts disregarding the invaluable innocent lives of the same community they are representing. What they are trying is to go before the international community with the bodies of the slain Tamil civilians to exert pressure on the Government to stop Security Forces heading towards Wanni.

Brutal murder

The assassination of a senior University lecturer at the Jaffna University in a claymore mine explosion in Sittankerni, Jaffna on Tuesday morning was such brutal act by the LTTE without any concern about their own people.

Ms. Shardha Maransothy of the Jaffna University and Kandhan Nishandan (25), attached to Uduvil Assistant Government Agent's Office were the victims in the explosion. The LTTE carrying out these cowardice acts such as these incidents can easily draw the attention of the international community towards the Sri Lankan situation and thereby exert pressure on the Government.

The other objective of the LTTE is to occupy the Security Forces to picket all roads in the Jaffna peninsula without giving them opportunity to relax in their duties and focus their attention towards the Jaffna FDLs at a time when they were making desperate attempts to infiltrate Security Forces defences. The other most significant factor affecting the LTTE is the threat they are facing from the Security Forces in the Wanni defences as Security Forces continuously engaged in a task of neutralizing Tiger threat on the Wanni Security Forces FDLs in Mannar, Thampanai, Pokkaravani, Periyathampanai and Ethavetunuweva in Weli Oya sector. The Tiger outfit has already deployed their cadres heavily to guard the FDLs in the Wanni as they are aware that if these defences were broken they are not in a position to turn the tide towards Wanni.

Therefore, according to intelligence sources, the LTTE is making use of civilian population for road picketing and other duties as the real fighting strength has to be deployed to guard the FDLs.

They Tiger outfit now have to depend on some 4,000 cadres to defend the Wanni FDL from Mannar to Kokkuthuduvai. With the major thrust on the West of Omanthai the LTTE have strengthened their presence in its defences West of Vavuniya as they must concentrate on the North Western coast since it is the only life line left for their logistic and other support.

With this severe shortage of man power the LTTE has now deployed civilians and stray dogs to guard the roads in fear of troops infiltrations to their territory and to facilitate 'VIP' movements. Apart from this the LTTE has to deploy at least 1000 fully trained cadres for the Radha Brigade to provide security for LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran. With the looming threat on his life and also due to uprising against his leadership he will have to seek more security unless he himself enter the battle along with his fellow members.

Under these circumstances the Tiger outfit has to depend on the civilian population in the Wanni for all their requirements. Therefore, the civilian population in the Wanni are now living under extreme pressure of the LTTE and making desperate attempts to flee from the area by various means.

The weak secondary level military leadership has also severely affected the Tiger outfit with Balraj, the most senior military leader now with the LTTE is also not in good health like his 52 year old leader Velupillai Prabhakaran who is now ailing due to stress.

Therefore, according to Wanni sources Theepan is the only senior leader with the Tiger outfit and he is not a military tactician like his erstwhile colleagues.

The leaders who escaped from the Eastern theatre have no recognition in Wanni and they are reportedly in shock due to the experience they had to face in the Wanni. The low morale of the LTTE leaders has resulted in a large number of the rank of file ditching the outfit but have to confine themselves within the Wanni since they have to cross LTTE checkpoints even to surrender to the Security Forces.

Therefore, it is obvious that the LTTE is now engage in these desperate attempts to boost it image internationally to seek international cooperation to survive from a major defeat at the hand of the Security Forces in their bid to eliminate terrorism hundred percent from Wanni soils to implement the political solution that is to be evolved with the consensus of all political parties.