Danger of LTTE taking the fight to civilian safe zone

Latest military reports indicate that the LTTE could have a fighting force of around 2,000 cadres, majority of whom are those forcibly recruited during the Cease-Fire and paraded before the media under such names as "RPG Commandos", "Leopard Commandos" and "Black Tigers".

Sources indicate that these cadres are fighting largely out of fear and are ready to flee every chance they get. Their morale is low but are unfortunately trapped by hardcore cadres and are afraid to surrender to the Army due to brainwashed mistrust in the SLA. However, the Army recently discovered families of LTTE martyrs among the civilians who had escaped to the government's side.

The major concern now is whether the fighting, which is concentrated mainly in and around Puthukudirippu and Ampalavanpokkanai could shift to the civilian safe zone as the Tigers run out of places to retreat. These areas start just north of Mulaitivu Town as one crosses the Wattuwan Bridge in Mulaitivu north.

Areas like Mullaivaikkal, Vellamullaivaikkal, Mathalang and Puthumathalang are designated civilian safe zones. These areas continue to be used for military purposes by the LTTE in complete disregard for civilian safety. Even the agents of a powerful multilateral humanitarian agency recently revealed that the two Zlin 143s involved in the aerial suicide mission on Colombo had taken off from near a civilian settlement along a stretch of beach at Mullaivaikkal in the designated civilian safe zone.

Meanwhile ground sources confirmed to DefenceWire that it was the 53 Division which had reached the Puthukudirippu built-up though the Commander of the 58 Division was quoted by the media as saying it was the 58 which had first breached the PTK built-up.