At a time of mounting international pressure on the government to disarm the Karuna Faction, two of its cadres died while inspecting a suspicious person at Kalawanchikudi (between Batticaloa and Ampara) today, when the suspect turned out to be an LTTE suicide bomber.
The suicide bomber had been moving from Ampara District to Batticaloa District by bicycle to arouse less attention. His target is yet unclear. LTTE still maintains a presence in Kanjikudiaaru, Kanchanakudah areas of Ampara District. The incident comes ahead of the March 10th elections in the East.
Meanwhile 3 police teams investigating yesterday's blast at Mt. Lavinia believe a woman of around 50 years may have left the bomb inside the bus. They have taken in 3 women and 3 men for questioning. However, majority of the passengers are said to have disembarked from the bus and left for work on other buses. As a result, the investigation teams maybe lacking crucial eye-witness accounts that could potentially hamper the investigations.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Suicide Attack at Kalawanchikudi
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Sea tiger base bombed. LTTE claims otherwise.
The SLAF's morning air strike on a large Sea Tiger base at Kiranchchi, situated 9km south of Devil's Point (Yak Thuduwa) in the west coast of Kilinochchi today, has been a success. Pilots have indicated direct hits.
Suicide craft, attack craft and logistical crafts of the LTTE Sea Tigers were believed to have been hidden inside the base. SLA sources indicate 8 tigers were killed and 13 others injured in the attack. No capacity to independently verify the exact death-toll as of now. However the LTTE has announced that old men, women and children were among those injured in the attack and are now lying in beds at Moolankail hospital, Kilinochchi.
Meanwhile the bus bomb at Mt. Lavinia seems to have been caused by a timing device. The bomb was detected under a seat by a passenger and the Conductor. The Driver took immediate steps to vacate the bus. The nature of the injuries were minor. The 18 injured persons at the Colombo South (Kalubovila) Teaching Hospital are expected to be discharged tomorrow.
In another development, the Sri Lanka Army recovered another 8 bodies of dead tiger cadres from Janakapura in Weli Oya today. The Bodies were brought to Padaviya hospital morgue. The ICRC is to take delivery of the bodies either tomorrow or Monday.
Bus Bomb at Mt., SLAF Bombs Oddusudan-Update
A powerful bomb placed inside a bus at the Mt. Lavinia bus stand completely destroying a bus as alerted passengers scrambled to exit it a little while ago this morning. The bus is still on fire. A motorcycle is also burning next to it. Several shops also damaged by the blast. Injured admitted to hospital. No confirmation of numbers killed/injured in the incident.
SLAF bombed an identified LTTE base east of Oddusudan in Mulaithivu at around 6.35am. details will follow.
6 more tiger bodies to ICRC
collateral damage waiting to happen- a woman forced to dig trenches with kitchen utensils The bodies were brought by the Army to the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital last evening. They are presently lying in the hospital morgue. The Army also seized six (6) T-56 automatic rifles from the dead tigers.
Meanwhile Task Force I Commander Major General Jagath Jayasuriya has recently informed Mannar Bishop Rayappu Joseph that the Church should take full responsibility for any artillery or other attacks emanating from the Madhu Church premises.
He told the Bishop that in future, the sacredness of the Madhu Church would be of little significance to the Army and that the next occasion LTTE fires from the church premises, the Army would use all force necessary to retaliate. Immediately after this notice, all artillery attacks from Madhu Church premises ceased completely.
The SLA is confident of taking Madhu, including the Our Lady of Madhu Church premises, within the next week.
Friday, February 22, 2008
SLAF Delay Gets LTTE Off-the-hook
A four-hour delay in a bombing run by the Sri Lanka Air Force resulted in a missed high-profile decapitation strike planned several days ago. The target was a conference attended by 'Colonels' Swarnam, Bhanu and Jeyam in north Mannar.
The SLAF usually takes four hours to prep the jets, from the point of receiving the Military Intelligence tipoff to the actual delivery of the designated payload to the target. As a result, by the time the bombs were dropped, the Tiger conference had concluded.
Minutes after the bombing, the three tiger leaders came back on air as they exchanged messages using codenames associated with them (example Karuna -Kilo Serra). The conference attended by all three tiger leaders was confirmed through both ground and aerial recon.
Yesterday's bombing of LTTE heavy gun positions in Mannar north has also been inaccurate for the same reasons. This is further compounded by the high speeds of the jet bombers. MI sources claim not every SLAF pilot is capable of running an accurate dive bombing run all the time.
Meanwhile the Intelligence Officer (IO) for Putlam is being overwhelmed as usual. He was to be replaced by a highly competent officer, who refused the job. The coastline from Kalpitiya to Wattala has traditionally been a difficult area to manage. Drug (narcotics) lords, supported by politicians and the police hold the sway in these areas. Their links with the LTTE runs deep.
Further complicating these matters, certain Muslim politicians from Puttlam, many of whom are originally from LTTE controlled areas, and their armed underworld goons, have developed relationships with the LTTE. It is believed that some may have even assisted the LTTE smuggle weapons into Colombo.
HRW Calls for Sanctions on LTTE, Karuna Group
Human Rights Watch has requested the United Nations Security Council to impose sanctions on the LTTE and the Karuna group for failing to end the forcible recruitment of children.
HRW's Human Rights Lawyers claim LTTE is holding by force 1430 child soldiers. They have requested UN Security Council to freeze all LTTE assets, movements and other activities with immediate effect.
HRW has also charged the government of failure to end forcible recruitment of child soldiers by the Karuna Group, which has now split into two. The Karuna and Pullaiyan groups have continued with brutal LTTE tactics even after leaving the organization. However, the group is to enter the democratic mainstream at the ongoing elections for the Eastern Province.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
3 More Tiger Bodies Handed over to ICRC
3 more bodies of LTTE cadres killed in recent battles were handed over to the ICRC last evening at Vavuniya hospital.
Earlier in the day, a little after noon, seven bodies of dead tigers, most of whom were female, were handed over to the ICRC at the same location. The bodies all belonged to tigers killed during the last few days north and north east of Uylankulam by the 57 Division.