Bogus agendas, serious setbacks leave Tigers high and dry

The Tiger outfit faced a series of setbacks within the week that ended yesterday both locally and internationally as their efforts to put the Sri Lankan Government and the Security Forces into trouble, miserably failed.

As explained by this column during the past few weeks the Tiger outfit was engaged in a serious agenda, using their tactics to foil the attempts made by the present Government to defeat LTTE terrorism with the support of the locals and also of the international community.

Main objective

One of their objectives to damage the country's economy using their obsolete air power failed when Risk Management Company AEGIS sent by London based insurance underwriters gave a positive sign to the Government after their week long security assessment at Katunayake airport.

The team expressed their satisfaction about the measures taken by the Sri Lanka Air Force to ensure the safety of the flights arriving at the Katunayake international airport and also about the safety of the passengers.

The farsighted decisions taken by the Government immensely contributed for this team to come to a conclusion not to recommend the London based insurance underwriters to impose any war risk surcharge on Colombo bound flights.

Apart from this the decision taken by the Defence Ministry to expedite the process to acquire MiG -29 fighter aircraft to face the threat posed by the Tiger air wing will also be a big defeat on the part of the LTTE as such acquisition will position the LTTE in a more disadvantageous position.

Since the decision to acquire MiG -29 was in the SLAF agenda for long time, the economic constraints faced by the Government delayed the process. However, now time is ripe to acquire this fighter craft which is widely used in various parts of the world as multi-functional craft as it can play a role of an interceptor in the efforts made by the SLAF to destroy Tiger aircraft.

The SLAF is now considering the acquisition of four MiG -29 fighter jets either from Ukrain or Russia. However, the Government strongly believe the amount of funds that has to be spent for the acquisition of the four aircraft cannot be considerd only on financial, terms considering the repercussions the country has to face if it does not take effective measures to neutralize the threat posed by the LTTE.

This is not the first time the SLAF is gong to acquire fighter jets to its squadron considering the enemy threats.

The SLAF for the first time obtained fighter jets in 1959 forming the No. 5 Jet Squadron, from the British. These were used in combat, when for the first time Sri Lanka Air Force went in to combat during the 1971 insurrection.

During the insurgency, then United Front Government received five MiG-17F fighter bombers, a MiG-15 UTI Midget trainer, and two Ka-26 helicopters.

By the early 1980's the Provosts and all of the Soviet aircrafts had been taken out of active service and were relegated to long-term storage, leaving the air force without any bomber capability.

After the 1983 riots, the government worked rapidly to expand the fighter aircraft of the SLAF and was compelled to refit a number of non combat aircraft for military uses in counter terrorism against the Tigeroutfit.

Bombing capability

A more effective bombing capability was provided by a small fleet of Chinese Harbin Y-12 turboproptransport aircraft. In order to increase the attack capability the air force in 1991 acquired several F-7 Skybolts, FT-7s and Shenyang J-5s from China.

Later in 1993 four FMA LA A1 58 Pucaras were acquired for ground attack. These proved to be effective but three of the Pucara's were lost, two due the SAMs lunched by the LTTE. The sole remaining Pucara was retired in 1999 due to lack of spear parts.

In 1995 Mi-24 gunships were acquired for close air support for the army and by 2001 Mi-35s were added to the fleet.

In 1996 Sri Lankan Air Force acquired six Kfir C.2s and a single TC.2 from Israel and further more nine aircrafts had been added to the fleet by 2005. This included four C.2s and four C.7s in 2001.

[A]In 2000 new aircrafts were acquired apart from the additions of Kfir C.7's and Mi-35s, these included six MiG-27 MiG-27 ground attack, a MiG -23 UB trainer and two C-130 Hercules for heavy transport. Six K-8 Karakorum trainers were soon added creating the No. 14 Squadron to train pilots for the newly expanded fleet of jets.

Due to LTTE attack on Katunayake Air Base on July 24, 2001, 13 aircrafts including two Kfir jet fighters, one MI-24 Helicopter gun ship and one MIG-27- jet fighter were destroyed. Three military trainee planes and five civilian jets were also among the destroyed aircraft. Much of these aircrafts were replaced later.

The SLAF acquired four MiG -27 fighter jets last year from Ukrain. But the acquisition of fighter jets was not the only measure taken by the SLAF to face the threat posed by the Tiger outfit during the past few weeks.

The SLAF also has taken more measures to detect suspected air movements by installing more radars at sensitive security establishments and also at economic nerve centres as they would be the prime targets, if they carry out yet another air attack using their two light aircraft.

Therefore, it would be a bigger challenge for the LTTE aircraft to come and play havoc in the South and return to their clandestine bases as they did earlier. The increased public alert will help Air Force, Army or Navy to destroy the Tiger aircraft since SLAF is receiving a large number of telephone calls on its hotline 116.

But it is incumbent upon the Sri Lanka Air Force to hear the public voices with greater patience despite becoming exhausted by the calls given by the people since that type of observation is considered as the most effective way of detecting suspicious aircraft.

Whatever the weapons acquired, they will be of no use if relevant people are not kept on alert to use them at appropriate time, as Tiger outfit is well-known for taking advantages out of the lack of alertness of the Security Forces.

As the Tiger outfit observing the consequences of their shortsighted act by launching an air attack, their plans to antagonize the Indian authorities and the Sri Lanka Navy saw yet another failure when Maldivian National Defence Force sank Indian registered vessel Sri Krishna which was taken away by the LTTE off Tuticorin about one month back along with 12 Indian fishermen.

The Maldivian Coast Guard first came to know about the suspicious craft on Wednesday afternoon when one of the Maldivian fishing boats was fired upon by the suspected vessel around 1 pm .

The Maldivian Coast Guard vessel Huravee started the pursuit of the vessel around 2 pm on Wednesday and they came to know that the vessel was smuggling weapons to the LTTE when one of the crew members jumped overboard and was rescued by the Maldivian Coast Guard.

The vessel was sunk by the Maldivian Coast Guard after a 12 hour stand off and arrested four LTTE cadres who jumped out of the blazing vessel.

Fishing vessel

Sri Krishna is an Indian registered vessel belonging to an Indian company. The vessel is suspected to have contained large quantities of ammunition and has been taken over by the LTTE around one and half months back, off Tuticorin.

The fishing vessel Sri Krishna left for fishing from Kodimunai-Kanyakumari on March 7 along with 12 crew members and was reported missing since March 12. On April 11 Indian authorities apprehended one trawler named Mariya and another two Vallams with six LTTEers and six Indian fishermen onboard.

Subsequent investigations have revealed, according to the Police Chief of Tamil Nadu, that the missing 12 fishermen of Sri Krishna were held captive by the LTTE in the Wanni.

Despite the statements made by relevant officials holding the LTTE as the prime suspect, the disputed issue was widely used by the LTTE to antagonize the Indian authorities and the Sri Lanka Navy using the pro-LTTE politicians based in Tamil Nadu.

However, the dirty tricks used by the LTTE were exposed due to the brave act by the Maldivian Defence Force to destroy the vessel.

Now it is time for the Indian authorities to act fast to curb the terror activities of the LTTE using Indian soil and taking Indian fishermen as hostages, leaving aside petty politics.

The decision taken by the Government this week to place the Coastguard Department under the Defence Ministry will also supplement the efforts made by the Navy to prevent illegal acts of the LTTE.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Minister of Defence, Public Security, Law and Order submitted a Cabinet memorandum to this effect with a view to prevent illegal fishing, detection of unauthorized foreign vessels, smuggling and sea piracy while helping local fishermen to engage in their livelihood without hassle.

The Coastguard Unit has been set up under the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Ministry in 1997. This would vastly benefit to assist the aquatic resources by preventing sea pollution. This Department would be empowered to acquire fleet to effectively function and build infrastructure to sustain Coastguard activities.

It will also formulate and enact acts and regulations while issuing orders and instructions for smooth operation and functions of the Coastguard.

It will recruit personnel as required to carry out the functions of the Coastguard as well.

With the LTTE facing these severe blows elsewhere the Tigers also faced severe setbacks in the Eastern front as Security Forces carried out major clearing operations in the East during the past few days.

This column explained the necessity to conduct such moping up operations in the East to restrict the Tiger movements further mingling with civilians, if the LTTE were allowed to operate like that they would engage in desperate acts to disturb the reestablishment of the civil administration in the East.

These clearing operations were carried out mainly in Batticaloa and Trincomalee. Tiger cadres fleeing Thoppigla jungles were largely caught due to these search operations carried out in Batticaloa West.

Troops deployed in the vicinity of Thoppigala on Thursday came under a small arms attack from LTTE terrorists who were hiding in nearby jungles at about 2.15 p.m. Troops repulsed the attack successfully by directing a heavy volume of fire power at them and later recovered five dead bodies of Tiger terrorists along with five of their weapons, five pouches, five packs and a binocular left behind by fleeing Tiger cadres.

Troops confirmed that Tiger terrorists suffered heavy casualties and losses in the incident according to electronic and ground information with regard to the incident.

In another clearing operation conducted by troops in Kadawana area south of Trincomalee troops recovered a tractor engine and a tailor from an abandoned LTTE jungle base on Thursday (17) at about 6.15 p.m.

Similarly another team of soldiers conducting a search operation in Sittaru recovered one Icom Radio set and a modified antenna from a jungle patch on the same day (17) around 6 p.m.

Troops in Marapalam area also recovered one T-56 weapon while on a search operation on Thursday (17) at about 11 a.m.

The battle

Meanwhile, the battle fought by the Security Forces in Madhu in East of Mannar was intensified during the past few days with the closure of Omanthai and Uyilankulam entry exit points after they came under Tiger mortar attacks.

Troops operating in the east of Madhu on Friday (18) confronted another group of Tamil Tiger Terrorists during evening hours and killed at least two of them while inflicting severe injuries to another seven.

The resistance from the Tigers had intensified during the past few days due to deployment of large number of Tiger cadres to their defences in Mannar.

According to sources in Kilinochchi, a larger number of Tiger cadres in Mullaitivu has been transferred to Mannar expecting a major offensive there in Madhu in the coming days.

The Tiger outfit has resorted to this tactic as this is the only way they could flee from Wanni using the Gulf of Mannar as their escape route to India, in an event of a major offensive by the Security Forces to capture Wanni.

Therefore it is now clear the Tiger outfit is in the process of finding escaping routes as they have taken clear assessment of the situation after the recent events.

Pix courtesy Sri Lanka Army website.