Government drops another bombshell on LTTE

The Government on Wednesday dropped another bombshell on the LTTE adding another burden on their task of establishing a separate Tamil state in the North East. That bombshell was much bigger than that of the seven bombs, each weighing thousand kilos, dropped on the Tiger leader Prabhakaran's hideout in Kalmadukulam in Iranamadu in the Kilinochchi district on Wednesday.

The proposals of the All Party Representatives Committee, handed over to the President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Wednesday evening, hours after the SLAF fighter jets bombed Tiger leader Prabhakaran's hideout, made a bigger impact on the LTTE than the shock waves created due to the bombing of the Tiger bunkers.

It created another front to surround and isolate the LTTE in Wanni jungles, in addition to they being surrounded by sea, air and ground by the Security Forces. The proposals submitted by the APRC created a political front for the LTTE to fight with in addition to facing the fronts created by the Security Forces to defeat them militarily.

The submission of political proposals to address the political issues relating to the North East conflict would justify the process undertaken by the Government to resolve the North East conflict. It brought the three decade long conflict to a decisive juncture as the Government was successful in addressing the issue in both fronts, militarily and politically.

It is now up to the other political parties in the South and also the Tamil political parties to decide on these proposals along with the President once the proposals are open for discussion with other political parties.

As observed by the President, on the occasion, he received APRC proposals from its Chairman Minister Prof. Tissa Vitharana, a conducive environment has been created in the country for the smooth implementation of political proposals in the North and East.

Thanks to the brave men and woman in the three Forces and the Police and the guidance given by the Rajapaksa administration to secure military victories against the LTTE, firstly in the East and now in the North.

It is at a correct time the Government is coming out with political proposals to give greater autonomy to the ethnic groups living in the North. This was timely as it demonstrates the genuine interest of the Government to evolve a political solution to address the grievances of the Tamil community and also to dispel the suspicion of the international community.

So, the LTTE has failed in all of its endeavours to create many fronts for the Government to tackle. In return the Government and the Security Forces has given them many fronts to confront.

Therefore, the LTTE has not been left with any room to raise its head in Wanni and are compelled to hide their heads inside thickly laid bunkers after putting the lives of innocent Tamil civilian in danger.

Though it was not yet confirmed about the destiny of the Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, the SLAF could pose another life threat on his life on Wednesday taking a pin point target on a bunker complex used as a meeting place of the LTTE leaders.

This is the second time the SLAF targeted the Tiger leader in hiding in Wanni jungles.

First it was in North of Kilinochchi on November 28 in which the Tiger leader was believed to have sustained injuries after 116 of his elite bodyguards were killed.

However, the LTTE denied the reports that Tiger leader was injured due to SLAF bombing. But the Tiger leader never turned up at a public meeting or even at the funeral of Charles, a close confidante of Tiger leader Prabhakaran after he was killed due to a claymore attack by the Long Range Reconnaissance Patrolling troops of the SLAF.

Once again, on Wednesday there had been unusual reaction from the LTTE to the SLAF bombing in Iranamadu as the LTTE communication went dead after the bombing and many shops were closed in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu.

The Security Forces also believe the X ray base which was targeted by the SLAF on reliable intelligence reports was a base used as a hospital to treat wounded Tiger leaders. Therefore, it is believed that the Tiger leader would have visited this place to have treatment after sustaining injuries in the previous air raid.

Therefore, it is believed that the LTTE leader would have faced a serious situation in the Wanni after this incident. But the LTTE leadership which is in quandary, over the incidents unfolding in the North and also due to the deprivation of ground level leadership to give leadership to the ground cadres manning FDLS in Vavuniya and Mannar, definitely will not divulge any such incident, since it would lead to a situation for the Tiger cadres to surrender to the Security Forces leaving aside their task of defending the bunker.

However, the situation has worsened for the Tiger leadership in the battle fronts in Vavuniya and Mannar due to the loss of their middle level leadership especially in the self styled ranks of 'Lt. Colonels' and 'Major' in the recent battle fronts. According to statistics available with the Security Forces in Vavuniya and Mannar more than 2,600 cadres have been killed in the Vavuniya and Mannar fronts since March, 2007.

That was after the formation 57 offensives Division in February 2007 and the 58 Division in September 2007. The number of cadres killed in the Vavuniya front in Vilathikulam, Thampanai, Palampiddi exceeded the 2000 target by this week.

The number of Tiger cadres killed in the Mannar front under 58 Division is around 750. That is within three to four months in operation.

With these developments the Security Forces in the Vavuniya front is poised to mark a bigger achievement possibly within next few days by securing Madhu shrine area as they have reached closer to Madhu church area by yesterday.

According to sources the LTTE had left the road block in Madhu on Friday and withdraw further towards North of Vavuniya. The securing of Madhu will mark major milestone in the Wanni battles after the capture of Silavaturai in a surprise operation since it was the only place people in the South are well aware of.

The achievements of the troops in Wanni battle front were not very much highlighted as the area was not familiar to the common masses in the South like the important milestones in the Eastern victories such as Sampur, Vakarai and Thoppigala.

Though ground troops can march towards the North very easily, the strategy of the Army is to move as a wider front rather than securing temporary victories after capturing small towns by moving there in narrow fronts like in the Jayasikuru operation which was conducted to take full control of Jaffna - Kandy A-9 road, leaving room for the LTTE to attack the troops from its rear.

Troops have observed that the LTTE had deployed untrained cadres to man many of the bunkers in the front line leaving them in danger without any concern about their welfare. These signs indicate that the LTTE is now withdrawing from their defences in the front, to Northwards.

This situation, the Security Forces believe is to regroup themselves and launch a massive assault in one direction, to make a bigger impact on the advancing troops in a single operation.

The 58 Division under the command of Brigadier Shavindra Silva is also making headway towards Adampan to fully secure the area and thereby to take full control of Vedithalthivu which is one of the tactically important locations of the LTTE in their logistic movements after the fall of Silavaturai in the South of Mannar.

The 58 Division has also speeded up their operations amidst stiff resistance by the Tiger cadres to take full control of the area.

Army Commander Lt. General Sarath Fonseka on Friday visited Mannar to observe the security situation in Mannar and to brief them about the future course of action. According to military sources this was the first time an Army Commander had visited Mannar area for the during the past ten years.

Meanwhile, the 59 Division which came into operation two weeks back has also started operations in Weli Oya removing Tiger threats in the Weli Oya sector. Within two weeks of operation the troops have been able to kill more than 20 Tiger cadres.

They are operating 10 Kilo metres wider front from Kokkuthuduvai and heading towards the North capturing vital Tiger locations in the Weli Oya sector.

Adding to this situation the LTTE is also losing its military assets due to the continued air raids by the SLAF. The fighter jets of the SLAF on Friday morning too conducted a successful raid on another LTTE hideout identified as "LTTE Transport Base", located two Kilo metres southwest of Depot Junction, Selvanagar, Kilinochchi.

The LTTE Sea Tiger headquarters in Puthukuduiruppu, Kevilkulam also came under air raid yesterday around 1.05 p.m.

Therefore, it has become extremely difficult for the LTTE to even operate inside the Wanni.

As the thrust on the LTTE continue like this the possibilities are very high for the LTTE to engage in sabotage activities in the South to draw more and more troops to the South to hamper military operations in the North and East.

They may continue with their atrocities targeting innocent civilians at this decisive juncture while making efforts to hamper the security situation in Colombo as the nation was preparing to celebrate the 60th Independence Day celebrations in a grand scale.

Intelligence reports also indicate that a more Tiger cadres have been moved to the East and the South to engage in such sabotage activities.

Special attention will have to be focused on Ampara district especially to the areas bordering Southern province and eastern province especially in Panama area where Sinhalese people are living in isolation.

The security in the Eastern province will also be vital at a time when the Government is making its best effort to make the Local polls in the East a reality providing it with adequate security for political parties to engage in election campaigns freely in Batticaloa.

So, the environment is very much clear to bring permanent peace to the country as Government is successful in its operation in all fronts in its endeavour of achieving this goal.