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The video shows a group of commandos from the army's 2nd Commando Regiment overrun part of a fortified LTTE bunker line during the Thoppigala offensive. 2nd commando regiment, commanded by major Uditha Bandara, was one of the first army formations to reach the Thoppigala mountain after a 5 month long battle.
Fighter aircraft of the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) carried out a bombing raid on a pre identified LTTE safe house in Puthukuduirippu region today noon. The strategic location was identified as an LTTE leader's gathering point.
The targeted base was located in the LTTE stronghold of Mullaithiv, south of Piramanadukulam. It is not yet known if any senior LTTE leaders were present in the base at the time of bombing.
SLAF has seemingly stepped up air strikes on LTTE military installations after the sea battle that took place near Delft island which destroyed a locally made UFAC and damaged an Israeli built Dvora belonging to the 4th Fast Attack Squadron of the Navy. The Air Force has flown consecutive sorties on both days since the sea battle, after being relatively silent in the past two weeks.
Soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) today captured the North Western part of Narikkulam region after a fierce firefight with Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) who previously controlled the territory. LTTE offered stiff resistance for six hours before the army overran some of the LTTE bunkers in the frontline.
This is the second consecutive day in which fighting was reported in this area. Clashes first erupted when the army tried to overrun the LTTE bunker line in Narikkulam yesterday (26th). The bunker line was not captured yesterday as expected but the objective was met today (27th), after a delay of one day.
Meanwhile the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) warplanes carried out an aerial raid on a LTTE target in Mullaithiv region at 6.10 AM today. The target was a major sea tiger base in Ellamulavaikkal, north of LTTE stronghold of Mullaithiv town. Although the pilots have confirmed accurate hits on the target, LTTE casualty details are not available as of now.
The sea going arm of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) were locked in a fierce battle off the seas south of Delft for nearly two hours from 12.45PM to 2.30PM today (26th). Both parties have suffered heavy casualties in the firefight with SLN losing 1 Dvora vessel and the sea tigers losing 4 of their attack crafts plus two suicide boats.
The battle erupted when the SLN intercepted a suspicious boat movement south of Delft coastline today noon. SLN craft were soon engaging with 14-16 of LTTE's medium sized attack crafts when two explosive laden suicide boats rammed into one of the Dvoras causing a loud explosion. The Israeli built craft was completely destroyed and all personnel on board are feared killed. Another SLN Dvora sustained damages in the incident but it is said to be in repairable condition. LTTE too has lost four of its attack crafts along with cadres on board. This is in addition to the two suicide boats which rammed against the Dvora. Exact damages to LTTE hardware/personnel is not known as of yet as they have so far maintained radio silence since the battle.
Sea tiger boats retreated towards LTTE controlled waters in Nachchikuda region south of Delft after the two hour long firefight. SLAF MI-24 helicopter gunships too were called to the scene to provide fire support and to aid in rescue missions.
A Dvora is usually manned by 12-16 personnel while a LTTE's medium sized attack craft is manned by 8-12 cadres. A suicide boat usually has two black tigers on board.
Even though the Cease fire agreement signed between the GOSL (Government of Sri Lanka) and LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) in 2002 continues to hold on paper, undeclared 4th Eelam war has been raging across four different battlefronts in the northern province.
During the past week, more than 30 LTTE cadres have been killed in a number of firefights along the forward defense lines. The army too has suffered casualties in these confrontations with 5 soldiers killed and a further 14 injured. In contrast to the soaring LTTE casualties, SLA casualties have been minimal due to new battlefield tactics employed under the command of Major General Sarath Fonseka. However, advancing into LTTE held territory has proven difficult due to both severe resistance and heavily mined, booby trapped terrain. Limited operations are still continuing across Mannar and Vavuniya despite these obstacles as their main objective is not territorial gains. According to intelligence reports, LTTE's command bunkers in Mannar and Vavuniya fronts (manned by Jeyam and Bhanu) have been moved 4-5 Kilometers into LTTE held territory after the latest rounds of fighting.
Meanwhile LTTE's senior leadership has further limited public appearances with the recent SLAF bombing on Prabhakaran's safe house. LTTE intelligence leader for Wanni has been replaced by Pottu Amman's orders immediately after the raid. MI has also revealed that LTTE are building more safe houses in civilian populated areas to protect its senior leadership including Sornam, Balraj, Theepan, Soosei and Cheliyan.
Although it may seem unbelievable, latest addition to the LTTE's growing number of troubles has been the torrential rain. According to intelligence reports, a number of LTTE camps including training and logistics bases in the Pooneryn Sector have been damaged due to the floods caused by heavy rain.
Meanwhile with the addition of 30000 troops within this year, the number of divisions in SLA command structure has risen to 13. Three divisions out of these 13 are newly raised offensive formations. Refer to the table below for more details.
| Division | Headquarters | Current Role/Notes |
| 11th | Panagoda | Logistics, training and support staff. |
| 21st | Gajasinghapura | Defensive operations in Eastern province. |
| 22nd | Trincomalee | Defensive operations in Eastern province. |
| 23rd | Welikanda | Defensive operations in Eastern province. |
| 51st | Jaffna | Defensive/search operations in Jaffna town |
| 52nd | Varani | Defensive/search operations. |
| 53rd | Mirusuvil | Elite fighting formation. Deployed as a reserve force to be used in an attack against Jaffna. Sometimes used to attack LTTE FDLs along the national front (Muhamalai/Kilali/Nagarkovil). Mechanized Infantry Division recently added. |
| 54th | - | Not active. Destroyed in the battle for Elephant Pass in 2001. |
| 55th | Muhamalai | Pre emptive strikes on LTTE FDLs in the north. |
| 56th | Kok Eliya | Defensive operations in Northern province including Vavuniya and Omanthai |
| 57th | Vavuniya | Offensive formation. Advancing towards Wanni thorough Thampanai and Vilathikulam. |
| 58th | - | Offensive formation. Division not officially raised. Currently known as Task Force 01. Advancing towards Vidaththalthivu through Adamapan. |
| 59th | Weli Oya | Offensive formation. Pre emptive strikes against LTTE FDL ahead of Weli-Oya. High likelihood to launch an invasion into Wanni through Weli Oya sector. |
On the 16th of this month, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam opened what it said was an Elder's Home in Kilinochchi. Usually, these types of events are inaugurated by LTTE leader Velupillei Prabhakaran. In this instance however, it was his Wife Mathivathani who attended the event (See Photo - Source Tamilnet). With the recent publicity given to the air raid which destroyed part of Prabhakaran's underground bunker, many began to speculate that he did not attend the event due to the injuries received in the incident. Latest Military intelligence reports suggest otherwise.
Apparently, LTTE's intelligence service (TOSSIE) has warned Prabhakaran of a plot to assassinate him in a public meeting by assassins disguised as civilians. As a result of this warning, LTTE leader has avoided attending several public functions recently with the latest one being the Elder's Home opening. It is still not clear if the warning mentioned the army's Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) or a rival faction within/outside the LTTE. LRRP has penetrated deep into LTTE controlled territory and so has intelligence cadres from the breakaway Karuna faction (TMVP).
Meanwhile tension prevailed in Kilinochchi on the 18th when hundreds of civilians staged a protest against a LTTE leader who allegedly raped a 13 year old schoolgirl. The angry mob is said to have damaged several vehicles belonging to the tigers. According to MI, LTTE leader in question and several protestors have been detained by LTTE's de facto police.
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| STF Training |
Special Task Force or the STF is the elite counter terrorist force of the Sri Lanka Police. It was founded in 1983 and by now employs more than 8000 highly trained personnel. After the Tamil Tigers began their campaign for a separate homeland, STF's primary task has been to defend the eastern province from LTTE threats. Their latest counter terrorist operation (Operation Niyathai Jaya) saw the fall of more than 20 mini LTTE camps in the Ampara region.
Note: These photographs are not the property nor the creation of DefenceNet. Full credit goes to original photographer(s) and uploader(s)
Pro LTTE web site http://www.tamilnet.com which has been blocked by all major Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in Sri Lanka since June 2007, is now once again freely accessible.
Users from Sri Lanka who were trying to view the site on the 17th of June were presented with server timeouts. It was initially suspected that the error was a technical fault with Tamilnet's hosting provider. However,later it was evident that Tamilnet was blocked on government orders. It is doubtful whether the ban had any effect as majority of the users seemed to have found a workaround to in the form of 3rd party proxy servers.
Tamilnet, which has been online since 1997, acts as a major propaganda machine of the the Tamil Tigers. Earlier, it was hosted in Norway but the site has now moved to the United Kingdom. UK based ISP "Rackspace Managed Hosting" acts as its current hosting provider.
Several days ago, an article written by D.B.S Jeyaraj suggested that the LTTE leader received minor injuries in a SLAF Air Strike. However the Sri Lankan military did not issue any statement regarding this incident as ground based intelligence sources had not confirmed the news. So many factors suggested that the story was based on rumors and speculation and was a false lead. However, according to latest intelligence reports, LTTE's seemingly invincible leader is confirmed to have received minor injuries in the said air strike.
The air strike which is said to have caused the injuries involved three Israeli built ground attack aircraft of the 10th fighter squadron. They dropped 12 MK80 Series bombs near Jeyanthi Nagar in Kilinochchi district on the 28th of November. One or more bombs that were dropped had hit the bunker in which the LTTE leader was residing at the time. He received minor injuries to the right shoulder when parts of the underground bunker crumbled upon impact. Although Prabhakaran's injuries were in no way life threatening, he was immediately evacuated to a secret LTTE installation where he was inspected by several doctors who declared the wounds and bruises were nothing of serious nature.
An explosion has occurred 500m away from the Railway station at Kanthale. Unconfirmed reports suggest that a claymore mine has been detonated targeting the Trincomalee-Kandy train. At least One civilian is said to be wounded in the incident. Engine of the train has also been slightly damaged.
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| Artillery Regiment |
Last August, LTTE deployed a large number of cadres in an attempt to recapture the Jaffna peninsula which fell to the Army in 1996. Thanks to the army's infantry, artillery and mechanized units, LTTE offensive was halted in the forward defense lines of Muhamalai and Kilali. These photographs show the artillery regiment in action during the battle for Jaffna.
Note: These photographs are not the property nor the creation of DefenceNet. Credit goes to original uploader/uploaders.
It is now a well known fact that a group of LTTE cadres managed to infiltrate into Yala sanctuary after their bases in Vakarai region fell to the SLA's Special Forces. Although warnings of their presence in the region had been issued by both civilian and Military intelligence sources for a while, real countermeasures began only after the LTTE raid on Thalgasmankada Army camp. Massive search operations that continued for a number of days were followed by a firefight near Panama.
Military intelligence has now reported that after this firefight, LTTE cadres have fled towards Kotiyagala which is situated north of Yala. This area is surrounded by dense jungle terrain, effectively aiding LTTE's guerilla operations. Although this latest move minimizes the risk of LTTE attacks on border villages in the southern province, is poses a new threat to the villages in the Monaragala district. LTTE operatives can easily launch small scale hit and run attacks on border villages in the Monaragala district from the jungles in Kotiyagala. It is needless to say that if such events occurred they would seriously affect the day to day life of the entire district.
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) directed a heavy artillery barrage towards a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) frontline position in Mannar, killing one soldier and wounding 10 others. LTTE artillery began hitting SLA controlled Nochchikulam area at around 8.30 PM Friday (14th) night. It is believed that LTTE used a 122mm artillery gun to shell the SLA position.
Previously, Military Intelligence revealed that LTTE had placed a 122mm heavy artillery gun in close proximity of the sacred Madhu shrine. This gun, placed inside the no-war-zone, was used to shell SLA positions in Thampanai area in a bid to halt SLA advances from Mannar.
Meanwhile a truck accident in Morawewa resulted in the death of 2 Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) personnel. 14 more airmen were wounded in the accident. The truck, belonging to SLAF, was transporting airmen who were returning to base after a training exercise when the incident occurred.
Sporadic clashes between the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) continued along multiple fronts in the Northern battle theater. Fighting was reported along Jaffna FDLs near Muhamalai, Kilali and Nagarkovil while clashes continued at the Wanni front near recently captured Adampan area. A total of 10 soldiers have been killed in the past few day's fighting while another 25 more have been injured.
Battles erupted along Jaffna FDLs when small attack formations of the 55th division launched limited attacks on LTTE bunkers near the frontline. Although several pro LTTE media termed the attacks as "attempts to advanced into LTTE held territory", these were merely hit and run style attacks conducted by the army on regular basis. These types of missions are not carried out with territorial gains in mind as their main purpose is to destroy as many enemy assets on the frontline as possible.
Vavuniya front also heated up when SLA directed heavy artillery and MBRL fire at a suspected LTTE gathering point in Pallaimodai. Ground based intelligence reports indicated that a tractor carrying LTTE cadres too was hit by SLA artillery fire. Casualty figures in these incidents cannot be confirmed as of now.
Meanwhile soldiers of the 3SF (3rd Special Forces) ambushed a LTTE convoy in Mannar killing at least 10 LTTE cadres in the process. The incident took place east of Adampan where heavy fighting had raged for the last few days. 3SF is renowned for its deep penetration and Long Range Surveillance (LRS) units such as the legendary "Alpha Squad".
Several new Unmanned Aerial Vehicles are set to join SLAF fleet, giving a boost to its aerial reconnaissance capabilities which were seriously affected by LTTE's raid on AAB. Four Israeli made Searcher MK II UAVs will be added to 11th UAV flight in the coming days.
Additionally, several Mi-35 Crocodile" gunships of 9th attack helicopter squadron are to undergo overhauling. After the upgrade, these Mi-35s will have all weather/day/night attack capability. At least 3 more Mi-35s are to be purchased from Russia in a bid to further strengthen SLAF's helicopter gunship fleet.
Several small attack teams of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) moved ahead of their defense lines in Weli-Oya (referred to as Manal-Aru by the tigers) to conduct a pre emptive strike on LTTE positions on the FDL, yesterday (11th) noon. This limited operation was aimed at dismantling LTTE defenses in Kokkuthiduwai region. At least 9 LTTE cadres have been killed during the operation and 4 SLA soldiers too have been wounded. As capturing land was not an objective of this operation, all SLA units have returned to their original positions. Spearheading the assaults in Weli Oya sector are soldiers of the 59th division. Newly raised 59th division is an offensive formation modeled after the 57th division and elite 53rd division.
LTTE previously reinforced this area fearing a mass scale army invasion into Wanni from Weli-Oya sector. The Army, instead of marching into the heavily fortified defenses in Weli Oya, opened the Mannar front to divert LTTE attention. Yesterday's limited operation shows the Army's intent to fight on multiple fronts. SLA are exploiting a weakness in LTTE outfit as their current manpower and ammunition shortage makes it difficult for them to fight on two different battlefronts. This fact was earlier revealed by former LTTE colonel Karuna Amman.
Weli-Oya sector holds bitter past memories for the LTTE; One of their previous attempts to overrun the area went terribly wrong when the army thwarted the operation with an extraordinary kill ratio of 1:250 . Nearly 500 LTTE bodies (majority of LTTE casualties being child soldiers) were scattered near the FDL when SLA forces commanded by Major General Janaka Perera halted the LTTE offensive losing merely 2 soldiers. However,one should not expect the same type of kill ratios to be achieved in a new offensive in Weli Oya area. Although the army has the upper hand, LTTE too has heavily fortified defense lines (in this case 3 of them), which are manned by experienced cadres. According to military intelligence, defenses of the area were personally inspected by LTTE leader himself just a few months ago.
Meanwhile LTTE's elite Charles Anthony regiment offered heavy resistance to SLA forces conducting operations near Mannar defense lines. Both parties have suffered losses in latest rounds of fighting with the bulk of them being LTTE casualties. So far the Charles Anthony regiment have launched several medium scale operations with the intent of recapturing lost ground. They however have so far had little or no success against SLA's Commando and Special Forces units in the frontline. Not only have the army been able to hold onto every inch of newly gained ground but they at one point stormed a Charles Anthony brigade bunker killing at least 6 cadres who were inside.
Czech republic has offered to provide anti aircraft missiles for SLAF while LTTE's de facto air force continued to pose a threat to Sri Lanka. Czech offer includes supply of state-of-the art AA missiles, training and even personnel to man the launchers if required. Whether the GOSL will accept the offer or not remains to be see.
LTTE is known to operate between 5 to 10 Zlin-143 light planes and have so far attempted 7 raids on both military and economic targets in Sri Lanka. A locally made bomb rack has been attached to at least one of these aircrafts. However payload delivery seems to be lever activated and this may be the cause of reduced accuracy. Even though the LTTE planes have had little success in terms of damaging military/economic assets, they have significantly boosted LTTE's morale and have further strengthened Eelam Diaspora funding.
This is not the first time Czech government pledged help to the Sri Lanka military. After the fall of Elephant Pass base complex in 2000, LTTE laid siege to Jaffna trapping 32000 government troops in the Peninsula. By that time LTTE had managed to acquire weapons with higher firepower such as the 152mm artillery. This is when the Sri Lankan government turned to India for offensive weapons but all India had to offer were transport aircraft to evacuate 32000 forces from Jaffna. However Pakistan and Czech republic came to Sri Lanka's aid by providing Multiple Rocket Launchers (BM-21 and RM-70). One shipment of RM-70 MBRLs went missing for several days when the plane carrying the hardware landed on a different country. Plane was later found and finally the delivery was made to Sri Lanka after a significant delay, only to be found that MBRLs that were on board were sabotaged. Luckily for the army, the machines were repairable (Later MI discovered that the Norwegian intelligence agencies were behind the whole fiasco). When the first MBRL barrage was fired on Pooneryn, LTTE artillery that were pounding Palaly for days immediately fell silent. RM-70 and BM-21 MBRLs were used extensively to push back the LTTE forces that laid siege to Jaffna and the machines were responsible for halting LTTE's unceasing waves III operation. In addition to the MBRLs, Czech government recently offered to provide Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) for SLAF to replenish its inventory from losses suffered in AAB attack.
In the meantime Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) flew three sorties on LTTE military installations in the North during last week. Surprisingly, both government and pro LTTE media were silent about the attacks. As usual, casualty figures from these aerial raids are not available as of now.
Sri Lanka Army (SLA)'s newest offensive fighting formation has concluded its training phase and is now ready to enter the heated battlefields in Northern province. The Mechanized Infantry Division, commanded by Colonel Ralf Nugera, consists of specially trained ground troops and armored vehicles.
Although it has successfully concluded its training phase, the process hasn't been a joyride. On February 14th, a meeting of army officials was taking place at 53rd division HQ. It was in this meeting the Mechanized Infantry Division was to be officially raised. However, LTTE shelled the HQ with at least four 130mm artillery guns (stationed in Pooneryn) wounding 14 including several senior military officials. Even the commander of army's 53rd division was injured.
Plans for the MID suffered another setback when LTTE's Victor (aka "Vetter") anti-armor unit destroyed 6 tanks and 6 IFVs (Infantry Fighting Vehicle) when the army tried to advance towards Pallei last year. The loss came at a time when the SLA were trying to boost its inventory of armored vehicles.
However, the Mechanized Infantry Division is now an active part of the Sri Lankan Army despite the early disturbances. Its primary use would be to invade enemy territory utilizing brute force of the armoured vehicles and then deploy its infantry to the heart of the battle. Due to protection from APCs (Armored Personnel Carriers), troop casualties are expected to be lower.
Mechanized Infantry Division currently consists of 3 regiments and has a wide variety of armored vehicles including BTR-80A, BMP-2 and WZ551 under its wing.
Several Days ago we conducted a poll regarding the personal attacks that are often seen in the comments sections. According to the results, a vast majority (nearly 80%) have voted in favor of deletion of such comments. This does not mean that we will start censoring comments; we believe in freedom of speech and we certainly do not want to play 'big brother' by imposing censorship. Comments will only be removed at a last resort.
Anyway it seems that our first poll did not draw much attention. Less than 10% of our average daily readership voted. Even so, the 80% majority against personal attacks clearly indicate that most readers do not enjoy such arguments. Therefore keep your comments civil and polite if you want more people to read them.
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were reinforcing defense lines along Wanni in the wake of intensified fighting in the area. Latest rebel move came as the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) launched several limited offensives on strategic positions that guard entrances to Wanni LTTE heartland. Most of the missions were able to meet their objectives with extremely low casualty figures for the army.
Meanwhile, LTTE could be observed deploying their more experienced units to Mannar region. To boost the morale of female LTTE cadres manning FDL potions, LTTE has assigned 'Vidusha' to this sector. Vidusha is one of the most senior members of the LTTE outfit. With army opening multiple fronts towards Wanni, even the Charles Anthony brigade (which had previously been deployed near secondary defense lines of Wanni) is showing more signs of activity. Up to now, Charles Anthony brigade was rarely used in battle even though they were deployed near the war zone.
Meanwhile the army successfully thwarted a fresh attempt by the tigers to regain lost territory near Mannar-Vavuniya defense lines. It is believed that at least 20 LTTE cadres were killed in this incident.
Heavy casualties were reported when suspected LTTE rebels set off a claymore mine targeting a civilian transport near Abhimanapura today evening. According to latest reports 15 civilians have been killed and further 23 have been injured in the incident. As of now, no military casualties are reported. The Ceylon Transportation Board (CTB) owned bus which was hit, had 50 passengers on board (all civilians) when the incident occurred.
Meanwhile SLA kept up its limited offensives on Wanni defense lines pushing LTTE further into a defensive stance. SLA attacks are originating from multiple fronts in Mannar and Vavuniya and in some places SLA forward defense lines have been extended by 1Kms.
Providing support for the Special Infantry units are army's deep penetration squads. Soldiers of 3SF (3rd Special Forces regiment) carried out at least 3 attacks inside LTTE held territory in Mannar and Vavuniya during last week. According to enemy communications, a land rover and two double cabs belonging to LTTE have been destroyed in these attacks. Information on the intended targets or casualty figures are unavailable as of now.
A group of soldiers engaged in a search operation near Panama village (northern part of Yala sanctuary) came under a LTTE attack at around 5pm this evening. Although the battle is not reported to be of large scale, at least one soldier has been rushed to hospital due to the nature of his injuries. A squad of commandos have been deployed in the area immediately after the attack.
According to an LTTE cadre who was arrested previously, a group of 30 cadres had managed to enter Yala sanctuary when their base in Kadiraweli fell to the army few months ago.
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers deployed in the Mannar defense lines were able to overrun LTTE's first bunker line in Manthai region (South of Adampan) yesterday. Soldiers of the 57th division spearheaded by Special Infantry (SI) formations carried out the limited offensive. The bunker line is now completely under SLA control. Meanwhile sporadic clashes were reported in the Perya-Thampanai region in Vavuniya and also in Weli Oya. According to Military intelligence reports, 16 LTTE cadres have been killed and nearly 40 more have been wounded in battle during the last two days. 4 SLA soldiers have been killed and 16 more have received injuries in the confrontations.
The army has increased the number of small scale attacks on the frontlines which guard the entrances to Wanni LTTE heartland. SLA has deployed 3 newly raised offensive formations along with elite Special Forces regiments on three fronts near Wanni defense lines.
In addition to 57th, 58th, 59th divisions and 1st and 2nd Special Forces regiments, the Mechanized Infantry Division has also been strategically placed in the area. Mechanized Infantry Division (MID) is comprised of regular infantry formations and vehicles of SLA armored corps such as heavy tanks, armored personnel carriers (APC) and infantry fighting vehicles (IFV). After the loss of 12 vehicles (6 tanks + 6 IFVS) in the failed advance at Muhamalai last year, 100 new Chinese built APCs have been added to Mechanized Infantry Division's inventory.
Meanwhile army's 55th division and the elite 53rd division have also been placed on high alert in the Jaffna peninsula. 55th division has played an active role in the 4th Eelam War with a number of successful small scale attacks on LTTE frontlines near the National Front (Muhamalai/Kilali/NagarKovil region) under their belt.
According to latest Intelligence reports, the LTTE has decided to attack both military and civilian targets in the South to disrupt civilian life as much as possible. MI warns of an LTTE plan to attack several major cities simultaneously (including Colombo and Kandy) and cause widespread panic and fear among civilians. The WTC twin towers, Colombo harbor and the city of Kandy are said to be among primary targets of the LTTE. According to MI, LTTE intelligence cadres disguised as beggars, differently-abled people and sales representatives have already been deployed to gather intel on these targets.
Meanwhile Defence.lk has made available a video showing the assassination attempt of minister Douglas Devananda. Video includes security camera footage which clearly shows the female suicide bomber detonate the bomb strapped to her bra inside an office filled with civilians. You can download the video from this link
Several days ago, pro LTTE media reported a claymore explosion in Kilinochchi in which 11 school children were said to be killed. It was also reported that Sri Lanka Army's deep penetration unit (LRRP - Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol) was behind the attack. Several countries and the SLMM (Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission) was quick to condemn the attack citing civillians casualties.
However we can confirm that army's DPU units did not carry out the attack (if such an attack took place in realty that is). No LRRP missions were launched on the day on which the alleged claymore explosion took place. However we cannot confirm whether a claymore actually went off nor can we comment on the casualty figures as the incident involved an area which is currently under LTTE control. Perhaps more light can be shed on this incident through intel reports that may arrive in the future.
Meanwhile MI suspects that the bomb that went off in Nugegoda area was brought there to assassinate army's Jaffna military commander Major General G.A. Chandrasiri. He is a veteran commander who has lead the army to many victories in the ongoing Eelam Wars. This may also indicate plans for a possible LTTE attack on Jaffna and surrounding islets.
In the meantime army has declared its latest general amnesty program a success with 4393 deserters re joining SLA ranks. This is the highest number of re joinings reported during such a program.
