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The Sri Lanka Army is now 4km away from Nedunkerni after having captured the strategic village of Othiyamalai. They are also 2kms away from Alampil, the strategic Sea Tiger base. The LTTE is putting up stiff resistance in all areas.

23mm and 30mm Heavy Machine Guns, some of which was captured from the Navy's Dvora FACs years ago are being used extensively to keep the Army down. The high caliber rounds from the HMGs, coupled with the incessant rains are making things a bit difficult for the SLA at the moment. 23mm and 30mm rounds, even when off target, can still cause injury to troops.

The shrapnel generated from these rounds can cover a wide area upon impact. This is not the first time the LTTE has used these tactics against the Army. Many years ago, tractor trailer mounted 23mm and 30mm HMGs were used at Elephant Pass and again, recently at Nachchikuda.

Meanwhile resentment has started to set in in the rank and file of the LTTE following Prabhakaran's speech and the attacks in Mumbai. Although many cadres are unaware of the geopolitics or the actual attack in Mumbai, they were eagerly awaiting a cease-fire brokered by their friends in India. Radio communications monitored lately indicate that the rank and file have lost hope of an Indian involvement and a sad acknowledgement has set in that no one is there to rescue them.

Attacks in Mumbai

The head of the Indian Intelligence Bureau, which later became the RAW, in a paper presented to the Indian central government in 1974 had claimed Sri Lanka was well on its way to development and westernization with an outward reaching government that was closer to the United States. From that point onwards, India, under Indira Gandhi, armed and trained Tamil student groups and small political groups and organized them for a much larger cause called Tamil Eelam.

The Indians did not believe in Tamil Eelam then. Chances are, they do not believe in it now. But a few Indian and Sri Lankan Tamil groups fell into this trap and are suffering from it as a result even today. India, thus effectively ripped Sri Lanka apart and taunted its progress for almost 3 decades while it developed its economic power through western influence and money.

India today is reaping the 'benefits' of this sin. Sri Lankans, mainly those opposing terrorism know the pain of losing life and chaos of the highest order and sympathize with India at this moment. But the reality bites and it has bitten India where it hurts most.

Indian Commando Operations

The response to terror by Indian intelligence, counter terrorism and the elite Black Cats is an absolute disgrace to all armies in the world. It took 12 hours for the Commandos to be deployed and four days and counting for the Commandos to completely destroy the terrorists.

We have one thing to tell the Indians. WE HATE WHAT YOU DID TO SRI LANKA BUT THANK YOU FOR CREATING A HIGHLY CAPABLE ANTI TERRORISM FORCE IN SRI LANKA WHICH IS SECOND TO NONE-- NOT EVEN YOURS. If your Black Cats cannot do it, we will-- if you want us to.

We remember in 2001, when the Katunayake airbase and civilian airport came under a similar LTTE attack, the Sri Lanka Army's Commando Regiment responded to that challenge with flying colours. The then Army Commander told the CO of the Commandos at 10pm that day to clear the airbase of terrorists and secure the entire area TWICE before his arrival at 1.00am.

The Commandos swung into action and by 12pm, all 16 Tigers hiding inside buildings, hangars etc were dead. In the massive attack launched by the Commandos, one suicide tiger had, in utter fright, released excrement onto the baggage conveyor-belt at the VIP section of the Bandaranaike airport before being shot to death on the spot.

There were many attacks of this nature in Sri Lanka. Some of the noteworthy ones include the attack on the Sri Maha Bodhi, the attack an LTTE team launched at Rajagiriya and later from inside the Serpentine Flats, the attack inside the Lake House newspaper company, the Anuradhapura Airbase attack and more recently, the Vavuniya airbase attack.

All these attacks indicate that, although initially taken by surprise, the Sri Lankan military has always come back strong to finish off any attacking force sent in by a ruthless suicide-bombing outfit like the LTTE. We urge the Indians to come and learn from us and to join our call to rid southasia of terrorism.