LTTE trying to hold on through harassing technique

An LTTE video was released recently showing what seems to be a Mechanized Infantry-style attack. A few soldiers were killed in the attack at Puthukudiirippu and the LTTE is obviously making a huge deal out of it, as you can see in the video.

The video first shows what looks like a Chinese YW-531H (T-85), an older version of the T-89, which the SLA Mech Infantry Division uses extensively now. From external appearance the two units look similar except for the rear doors (3rd frame). Next, a mounted MPMG is shown (4th frame).

The following frames of the video show the tail of the attack and no actual combat is shown as in previous LTTE videos. Bodies of a few SLA soldiers are shown at a road-side checkpoint and a field unit established at a abandoned civilian house, which was obviously raided and taken by surprise by the armoured attack.

The T-85 is actually a former Army APC captured from Muhamalai a few years ago along with a T-55 MBT. In the attack the APC was subsequently destroyed in an RPG-7 HEAT attack and 13 tigers in it were incinerated.

The attempt is an example of the current situation in the Vanni where the Tigers are cornered into an area and the Army's advance has become highly complicated due to the human shield. The civilians have nowhere to run except into the hands of the Army, which was happening until the suicide attack.

Following the suicide attack, the flow of civilians has started to only trickle-in, whereas thousands, on one occasion as many as 6,000 civilians were reaching the Army almost on a daily basis prior to the attack. The attack was a message to civilians that the Tigers can still terrorize them. Although it killed 24 soldiers, the message is towards the civilians who will now fear harassment by the Army (regular checking, detention of suspects etc)

The Tigers strategy is to harass the Army from behind the civilian cover by raiding the Army FDL, particularly around Puthukudirippu. There is also a very strong indication that Velupillai Prabhakaran is still hiding in the remaining tiger territory. How long this trend will continue is an interesting question.