Army thwarts terrorists’ regrouping

By Dhaneshi Yatawara

Sri Lankan law enforcement have obtained Red Notices issued by the Interpol against 40 LTTE operatives to apprehend them, said Police Spokesman SSP Ajith Rohana during a press briefing last week.

The spokesman said that in addition to the 40 Red Notices by Interpol another 56 non-LTTE operatives have also been flagged. The Interpol has issued these Red Notices to apprehend LTTErs operating in foreign countries.

Two top terrorist names operating abroad, Nediyawan and Vinayagam, emerged during the recent operation to capture Gopi and LTTE team who had direct links with an attempt to resurface the terrorist ideologies.

These Interpol Red Notices include Nediyawan (Perinpanayagam Sivaparan) believed to be operating in Norway and Vinayagam believed to be in France.

In the case of Red Notices, the persons concerned are wanted by national jurisdictions for prosecution or to serve a sentence based on an arrest warrant or court decision.

Interpol’s role is to assist the national police forces in identifying and locating these persons with a view to their arrest and extradition or similar lawful action.

Sri Lanka Army with its strengthened Intelligence network managed to track down and thwart a terrorist regrouping and capture the main operatives behind - Kajeepan Ponniah Selvanayagam alias Kasian alias Gopi, Sundaralingam Kajeepan alias Thevian and Navarathnam Navaneethan alias Appan.

Thevian was identified as one of the LTTE key figures involved in aerial attacks on the Anuradhapura Air Base and Kolonnawa Petroleum Storage in 2007.

On information received from the public the Army traced the exact location where these three most wanted LTTE operatives were in hiding.

On March 10, 2014 troops in a search operation in the jungle areas off Padaviya recovered four back-packs containing items such as pre-cooked food, medicine, clothes which were believed to be used by these terrorists.

According to the Military Gopi, Thevian and Appan were shot dead during the early hours of April 11 when they attempted to flee the Army cordon set up to capture them. All three were killed during the confrontation.

This could be just a tip of the iceberg. What is hidden is the concern of the Sri Lankan Intelligence services.

The joint efforts of the TID and the Military Intelligence is crucial at this juncture.

“We are taking adequate measures to maintain surveillance and the required security measures. The new methodology of looking into security is that one does not see soldiers all over,” Lieutenant General Daya Ratnayake told the Sunday Observer when inquired about the current state of the country's security.“There are new systems and methods that were developed in the world military field.

Our officers are equipped with this updated knowledge.

We can assure that proper security is provided for the country ensuring national security,” Lt. Gen. Ratnayake said. In a brief interview with the Sunday Observer the Army chief emphasised that the Sri Lankan Military has not forgotten that left over traces of terrorism can still shadow the country though the country was saved from terrorism in May 2009.

“The Army is keeping a watchful eye,” he said.

Q: Traces of terrorism seems to be still exist in the country exist? How would you analyse this?

A:Though we eliminated LTTE there are extremist groups living outside Sri Lanka who are trying their level best to gain their ideologies and have not given up dividing the country. They attempt with the best of their ability to recreate the organisation to support their cause.

They have been trying for the past five years and towards the end of last year these small group of people have been trying to re-organise and our intelligence smelt the issue and they were closely following it up.

Extreme elements living outside Sri Lanka were about to be successful in this attempt.

This is how it happened. Certain elements of Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora have spent a lot of money for this cause as for money people would do these work.

They couldn't do much but made few people work for them, organise them selves.

Q: With more and more Army personnel getting full time involved in the national development drive, how does the Army balance in achieving its prime responsibility of protecting the country?

A: As I said earlier, for us security is number one. That is our prime responsibility. That is how terrorist re-emergence was nipped in the bud.

We will not compromise national security at any cost.

Army intelligence and combat-oriented soldiers are there in adequate numbers and that will be maintained by the Army along with continuous training to be ready to defend the country at any given moment.

We will always be on the guard not only in the North and the East but in the entire country.

We have had bad experience in history where national security was breached.

The intelligence units are working round the clock under directives of Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa. If the security is not properly balanced the country will face a tense

situation. We are taking adequate measures to maintain surveillance and the required security measures. The new methodology of looking into security is that one does not see soldiers all over.

There are new systems and methods that were developed in the world military field.

Our officers are equipped with this updated knowledge. We can assure that proper security is provided for the country ensuring national security.

Q: How is this managed?

A: The Sri Lanka Army, cannot isolate ourselves from the nation as developed countries do. We are being paid by the people of this country and we have an obligation to serve them as and when they need our help. Army is a reflection of the people.

The Army always has a balance in fighting, services and supporting segments. That is maintained. We manage it properly.

Earlier we organised ourselves to eliminate a ruthless terrorist group and with victory and then we did not stop serving the country and we got organised in a different way to get going with development work.

We had to structurally change the Army in doing so. The Engineering Service Regiment is the force behind the army constructing buildings and infrastructure of institutions and it was this regiment that had to take responsibilities in development activities.