Tigers clueless of CFA repeal

Recent attacks master-minded before Jan. 16

Just a week ago, the topmost intelligence agency of the United States, the Federal Bureau of Investigations rated the LTTE as the most ruthless terror organisation in the world. The Tiger outfit within the week ended yesterday added another list of brutal acts to the long list of massacres to prove their ruthlessness.

The LTTE killed more than 30 innocent civilians in a claymore mine attack on a bus carrying 80 odd innocent civilians at Helagama on the Buttala-Moneragala Road on Wednesday, January 16. The bus that was plying along Buttala-Moneragala Road carrying a large number of civilians including school children, office workers and poor peasants was first attacked with a powerful claymore blast and then fired upon by the terrorists.

Many opted to describe the incident as the LTTE reaction to the Government's decision to abrogate the Ceasefire Agreement which came to an end on January 16. Many critics who were not dare utter a single word about the LTTE brutality when LTTE detonated claymore mine in Kebithigollewa, while the Ceasefire was 'effective', raised their voices to criticise the decision to abrogate the Ceasefire agreement in the aftermath of this incident.

It was the Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe who had reportedly summoned ambassadors to 'educate' them on the repercussions of the Government decision to abrogate the Ceasefire Agreement. He would have described how he had created an international safety net by entering into a Ceasefire Agreement with the LTTE in 2002.

But the international community, which is intelligent enough to understand the real situation in the country, should understand that the net was created only for his safety not for the country's national security or for the protection of the civilian population and the Security Forces of the country.

Though, these armchair critics and the media organisations that are very prompt in their reactions once their fellow colleagues' security is threatened, are the very ones trying to brand this brutal act as the LTTE reaction to the abrogation of the CFA by the Government. The common masses of this country understand the ground realities behind these incidents.

The 'Sunday Observer' SITREP from the date the LTTE launched lightning attack on isolated Thalgasmankada Army detachment highlighted the fact that the LTTE was engaged in diversionary tactics to draw troops towards other parts of the country in their bid to secure their strongholds in the Wanni. It was long before the Government took a decision to withdraw from the CFA things were reported in this column about the Tiger plans to destabilize the security situation in the South.

The SITREP in its December 16 article highlighted this point and even went into the extent to explain that LTTE would change its strategy to take the situation in their favour. We reproduce the section of that article to enlighten the public that these incidents were planned by the LTTE long before the decision was taken by the Government to withdraw from the Ceasefire Agreement.

"The SITREP on December 16 said: "Though the Security Forces have not achieved the success to extent of the climax of the Jaya Sikurui operation in 1998, the people have kept full trust on the military strategy adopted by the Security Forces as there is no chance of a fall back of the territory to the LTTE as it happened in the late 1990's.

But things cannot be taken so lightly in the present context as the LTTE continue to renew their strategies to take the situation in their favour by destabilizing the situation in other parts of the country-specially in the East.

That was the strategy the LTTE continued during the past few months starting from the lightning attack on the Thalgasmankada, Army detachment and subsequent claymore attacks that took place inside the Yala National Park.

The Security Forces are still making efforts to track the Tiger cadres who infiltrated into the Yala National Park and have made a major breakthrough in their investigations.

The Security Forces believe that the LTTE cadres have now moved towards the Moneragala area in the border of the Yala National Park as they no longer can operate inside Yala due to the heavy presence of military personnel inside the park.

However, the Security Forces have received confirmed intelligence reports that the group is handled by the Tiger leader Ram and they have been given instructions to operate in the South anyhow to destabilize the South to lessen the military thrust on the Wanni fronts.

The idea is to scatter the Security Forces personnel all along the Eastern Province, Southern tip of the country and other parts of the South.

Once again on December 23, 2007 SITREP further highlighted how Security Forces were in pursuit of Tiger cadres in Yala and got confirmation through intercepted communication links of the LTTE that the Tiger group was handled by the LTTE leader in Wanni.

The SITREP on December 23 said: "The Security Forces who are now engaged in search operations have been convinced that the Tiger team operating inside the Yala National park is directly handled by the LTTE Wanni leadership to destabilize the Southern security situation.

The ongoing investigations have confirmed that the troops who confronted a group of LTTE cadres in Debaraduwa 30 km away from Yala on December 11, was a part of the group who attacked the Thalgasmankada Army detachment on October 15 killing seven soldiers there.

The Tiger cadre 'Maliyan' who is now under detention has identified the female Tiger cadre whose body was recovered by the Security Forces after Debaraduwa confrontation was Valarmadhi who operated with the group launched attack on Thalgasmankada Army detachment.

Maliyan was arrested recently when he was attempting to flee from the group operating inside the Yala National Park.

Maliyan has recognized Valarmadhi who is a member of the Malathi regiment which is operating in Wanni under the command of Vidusha but not a member of two women regiments 'Maduna' and 'Anbarasi' which were operated in the East after her body was shown to him.

According to investigation the group operating in Yala was operating under the command of Ram who had fled to Kanchikudichchiaru jungles after Thoppigala was fallen to the hands of the Security Forces.

Later he has sent two groups to Southern part of the country under the directive from Wanni to destabilize the situation there in the South. Public should act responsibly.

A large quantity of food items recovered inside the Yala National

Park indicates that the group was planning to operate inside the jungle for a long period.

It seems they have received these food stocks with the help of civilians living around the Yala National Park.

Intercepted communications of this LTTE group indicate that though they are not willing to operate in the area as they are facing difficulties in getting supplies, they have been given strict instruction from the Wanni leadership to remain there and continue their operations.

Therefore, it has become vital factor for them to get food supplies from the area itself if they are to continue their operations.

Otherwise they will have to leave the area short of their expectations. The Security Forces expect public to act responsibly at this decisive stage by not providing any material for unidentified people in the area.

Going through these reports it is now crystal clear that the LTTE had sent this team not just after Government's decision to withdraw from the Ceasefire Agreement but few months back from the date they launched their attack on Thalgasmankada Army detachment.

Troops believe that two Tiger teams are operating in the area and the team which had launched claymore attack on the bus at Helagama, Moneragala was different from the team who had butchered 13 civilians in Chenas in Hambegamuwa area on Thursday night.

The incident on Wednesday had occurred when Police and Security Forces were investigating into an incident in which five people were reportedly killed inside a ganja cultivation 15 Kilo metres away from Buttala one week back. The Security Forces believe that the ammunition (8.54 mm) found from the location were very much similar to that of the ammunition found from the location of the claymore attack.

The Security Forces believe that only three to four Tiger cadres have participated in the claymore attack on the bus and the subsequent attack on the civilians and the claymore attack on Unicorn of the Army had been launched to prevent troops reaching the location soon after the incident.

According to the investigations the claymore targeting the Unicorn truck of the Army was a powerful enough to penetrate even iron plated body. An Army officer and two soldiers travelling on the unicorn vehicle were injured.

So far there had been no breakthrough by the search teams operating in Udawalawa and Thanamalwila areas. The Hamabantota Area Commander Brigadier Sudantha Ranasinghe has set up an operation room in Thanamalwila Police station to coordinate the search operations in Thanamalwila and Udawalawa area. The troops believe that the team had escaped towards Uda Walawa area after carrying out the brutal attack on innocent farmers working in their Chenas.

According to Security Forces though they get the confirmation that two LTTE teams were operating in the area they could not locate the teams as they could not trace the locations from which they had communicated with the Wanni leadership through mobile phones.

At the same time it is strongly believed that the LTTE team operating in the area was getting strong backing from Sinhalese civilians to get their requirement and for their movements. Otherwise there is no possibility for them to operate in these areas unnoticed to the general public.

Going through the incidents that took place in the Moneragala border it has been revealed that LTTE had received support from the Cannabis cultivators to get their requirements for the Tiger cadres operating inside the Yala national park.

The first such incident has been reported in January 18, 1991 in Meepanawewa in Moneragala where two bodies were recovered by the Police along with 9 mm pistol, 9mm pistol ammunition 56, three hand grenades, 154 T-56 ammunition, two magazines and another set of equipment. Later the two bodies were identified as LTTE leader Castro and Muttiah Pushparaj. They have been killed as the canoe they used to crossed tank was toppled.

Subsequent to that there had been series of incidents in March 28, 1991, April 14, 1991 in Ethimale, April 21, 1991 in Okkampitiya and October 22, 1995 in Siyambalanduwa.

All these attacks on civilians have been perpetrated by the LTTE cadres operating inside the Yala National Park and they had sustained with the support of Cannabis cultivators and hunters.

Therefore, as this column highlighted in its December 23rd issue of 'Sunday Observer', public support is very much essential to track the LTTE teams operating in the area since they will be successful in their mission of scatterings the troops across the country if they are allowed to carry out another attack of this nature.

According to Security Forces what LTTE tried through these acts was to prevent the formation of the 59 Division and deploy them in the Weli Oya sector.

They have launched this attack in Moneragala since it is the only area where Army does not have operational set up in the districts bordering the North and the East. Adequate Security Forces personnel are not present in this area except for the Rear Headquarters of the Five Gemunu Watch and the Commando Training School. So the Security Forces are compelled to bring down battalions from other part of the country to deploy troops in the district.

But the Defence Authorities have been able to get the enough man power to guard the Yala National Park and also the areas bordering the Yala National Park with the support from the Civil Defence Force and the Police while deploying the 59 offensive Division in the Weli Oya sector.

That was the main worrying factor for the LTTE, to carry out this type of claymore attack and butcher innocent Sinhalese civilians in the face of their pending defeat in the Wanni.

The increased strength of the Army will also enable to dominate the areas without any problem while strengthening the security in other parts of the country. But at a time the country has achieved its best in its endeavour of eliminating terrorism from the Sri Lankan soils the public should strengthen the hands of the Security Forces by extending their support voluntarily by protecting their own villages from pending Tiger threats.

They have to realize the fact that even after deploying million of troops, it is difficult to prevent acts of terrorism since the LTTE is capable of turning the mindset of any individual to perpetrate any crime against humanity by offering them money or by way of intimidations to achieve their goal at any cost.

Therefore, people should line up with the Security Forces to defeat LTTE attempts to destabilize the South by engage in desperate attacks of this nature. That type of support will enable the Security Forces to overcome even the legal barriers imposed by the Supreme Court curtailing the efforts by the Security Forces and the Police to curb terror activities of the LTTE in Colombo and suburbs.

In the present context in which the Security Forces had taken the upper hand on the security situation in the North East without leaving any room to launch any attack against the Security Forces in Wanni and in Jaffna fronts, any part of the country can be exposed terror attacks of the LTTE. Each and every citizen should share the responsibility of preventing such attempts by the LTTE by acting responsibly and without betraying the national security for personal gains.

But there should be no attempt to spoil these achievements by the Security Forces by wildly reacting to the provocative acts of the LTTE which always try to create ethnic backlash in the South to justify its cause for separate state for Tamils.