Army to Expedite Operations

The Sri Lanka Army is demonstrating signs of expediting military operations against the Tigers following LTTE attacks in the south. State Intelligence sources believe a major disruption, the first of its kind, was averted when an LTTE suicide bomber detonated her suicide jacket inside the Fort Railway Station, instead of aiming it at a bus load of Air Force personnel on their way back from the military parade on Independence Day. A special security plan put in place the night before and the selfless pursuit of the suicide bomber by an officer from the Police Special Branch (Intelligence) seem to have caused the premature attack, which still killed many innocent civilians.

30 bunkers were destroyed by troops in the Jaffna FDL along the villages of Kilali, Nagarkovil, and Muhamalai last week. 12 Tigers were sniped and killed by the Sri Lanka Army at Periyapandisurichian, Kallikulam, Nagarkovil and Muhamalai FDLs yesterday alone. SLA deployed own snipers after several soldiers were injured by Tiger sniper-fire along Vavuniya and Mannar FDLs when SLA attack teams were collecting Tiger bodies. The SLA collects Tiger bodies only in Mannar, Vavuniya and Weli Oya, given the presence of the ICRC in these areas.

Heavy artillery and mortar fire was also directed at identified LTTE positions and group movements observed by recce teams in Muhamalai and Vavuniya. The casualties to LTTE in these attacks cannot be fully confirmed. Weeks of continuous pounding and limited operations by the SLA Avenue of Approach in Adampan managed to secure the area west of Adampan Tank last morning.

Meanwhile the Special Boat Squadron deployed in Peraru West, East and Naval Headworks Sanctuary on Friday night ambush an 8-man team of Tigers including an LTTE local leader bound for the coast (Nilaveli) via Kumburupiddi jungles. Bodies of two Tigers killed in the confrontation have been recovered.

In the meantime, troops from the 59 Division are successfully marching towards Nendunkerni and Mulaithivu. In the initial stage of operations, an LRRP team tasked with assassinating the Weli Oya Military Wing Leader of the LTTE missed their objective but managed to seriously wound the Tiger leader. This follows a familiar patter of the SLA's recent strategy, which is to decapitate the LTTE's local leadership in swift blows. This pattern started with the assassination of the Vakarai Military leader 'Lt. Colonel' Arivu by a Special Forces (LRRP) team ahead of that campaign. Another 'Lt. Colonel' and several Malathi Unit leaders are feared killed in last week's SLAF attacks in Kilinochchi and Mulaithivu.