Tamil Nadu police break supply chain of LTTE

CHENNAI: The Q Branch of the Tamil Nadu police on Tuesday busted a major LTTE procurement network, seizing five imported Yamaha outboard motors with a 40-horse-power capacity each.

In connection with the seizures, three persons, including a Sri Lankan from Manalmelkudi in Pudukottai, were taken into custody.

The Q Branch team nabbed Kumargurubaran (28), a resident of Chennai, Ramesh (37), hailing from Ramanathapuram, and Manamohan (28) from Pesalai, Sri Lanka, from near the Kattumanadi bus stop near Manalmelkudi on Tuesday. The motors were meant to be transported to Sri Lanka for the LTTE in a boat kept ready by Ramesh.

"The gang had transported the motors from Chennai to Pudukkottai and was planning to take them by sea to Sri Lanka. We are yet to ascertain whose name the import consignment had been booked under and who collected it from the Chennai Port. There are more persons involved in the procurement of the motors and the investigation is on to find them," a senior police official told The Times of India.

Police said Manamohan was the key player in this procurement network, co-ordinating the operation. "He arranged for the payment and co-ordinated the procurement. The seized motors are worth around Rs. 7 lakh in the market," the official said.

Read more,
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Chennai/

Wanni Operation 22 th of July

Source,
http://www.youtube.com/user/sinhahada

Navy destroys one LTTE boat, damages 2 in a sea battle - Pulmoddai

Source,
http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20080722_01

Holy Madhu Statue Returns; Army Takes over Renovations to the Shrine

MANNAR: THE MOST SACRED STATUE of Our Lady of MADHU which was taken away by Catholic Priests attached to the MANNAR diocese several months ago was brought back to MANNAR Bishop House Tuesday (22) across OMANTHE Entry / Exit point.

Removal of the Holy Statue and its arrival in a church in WELLANKULAM, further north of MANNAR, caused concerns among the Catholic faith and all Sri Lankans at that point of time.

The MADHU church premises was recaptured from grips of Tiger terrorism after laps of ten years on 25th April 2008 but Tiger terrorists after straying into the premises went on pounding the holy compound in order to chase the troops away.

Terrorists caused damages to a section of the church buildings where priests used to live.

The Holy Statue is to be placed back in its original position at the MADHU shrine once the renovations of the LTTE-damaged buildings are completed. Sri Lanka Army has undertaken repairs and renovations which cost around Rs 1.5 million following a directive given by Commander of the Army Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka.

Troops in the meantime have intensified their humanitarian de-mining work in and around the compound in order to completely clear the area before the Holy Statue is returned to the MADHU shrine.

The holy annual feast is expected in August this year.

Extracted from,
MCNS
Video,
SLRC

Air intelligence confirms 22 LTTE suicide bombers killed in air raid - Mullaittiuvu

Air Force spokesman Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara speaking to defence.lk said that 22 LTTE suicide bombers (Black Tigers ) were killed in the air raid carried out this morning (July 22) at the Uddayarkattukulam LTTE camp.

Citing Air Force intelligence sources , he said that the group of the slain LTTE cadres had been engaged in a rehearsal of a major suicide operation at the time of the air raid.

Air Force fighter jets launched an air strike targeting pre identified LTTE special operation training facility located Northeast of Uddayarkattukulam in the Mullaittiuvu district around 8.15a.m.

The Air Force sources said, targeted camp was providing training for LTTE cadres in special operations and in leadership for the terror leaders. Activities in the terror camp had a significant increase recently, the sources added.

LTTE is the terror outfit that pioneered the suicide bombing tactics to the world. The outfit has been using brainwashed youth, mostly women and teenagers to commit suicide as human bombs. LTTE select these youths from orphanages or recruit those who have undergone gender or cast discrimination promising them to redeem their dignity by dieing for the tribal cause.

Extracted from,
http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20080722_05

LTTE declares unilateral ceasefire -Government rejects the offer

The LTTE Political Wing announced it will observe a unilateral ceasefire that is devoid of military actions during the period of the SAARC conference from 26th July to 4th August, but the government of Sri Lanka rejects rebels offer and said no discussions with any party on this matter.

Responding an oral question rose by Parliamentarian Mr.Wimal Weerawansa, in parliament today Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said the government does not response this offer. He said a number of local and international allies try to stop operations against the rebels.

�At present government is defeating the terrorists .We never stop these operations, he said.

A rebel statement said the Tigers would refrain from military action during the 15th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) conference but warned they would be forced to take \"defensive action\" if the island\'s military carried out any offensives against them.

The government sources further said it had not received an official ceasefire notification from the rebels and expressed wariness about the move.

Meanwhile the head of the government peace secretariat, Rajiva Wijesinghe, said the government needs time to carefully consider the LTTE call for a ceasefire during the SAARC summit and will wait till it is officially communicated.

Extracted from,
http://www.lankaeverything.com/vinews/srilanka/20080722013647.php

Full text of the press release of the LTTE,
http://www.ltteps.org/?view=2218&folder=2

Video Source,
http://www.itn.lk/news_04_20080722.html

Forces moving towards west Mullaitivu

Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said the Security Forces engaged in liberating the North were moving towards west of Mullaitivu as part of their humanitarian mission.

Addressing the media yesterday at the MCNS, Brigadier Nanayakkara said the Security Forces who liberated the Eastern Province on a humanitarian mission had moved to the North to liberate it from LTTE clutches.

“Commandos on the Mannar and Wanni front marked many victories against the LTTE and liberated from the LTTE grip. Troops are marching towards the Mullaitivu entered west of Mullaitivu along the A9 road to liberate one of the LTTE strong hold in the North,” he added.

The Security Forces also liberated 67 square kilometers in the Weli Oya area in the Northern front including One Four Base scattered in the Mullaitivu jungle, Brigadier Nanayakkara said.

Navy spokesman Commander D.P.K. Dassanayake said at least 13 Tiger boats were destroyed and six LTTE cadres killed including sea Tiger leaders on Sunday, Navy and Air Force joint operation in the sea off Nachchikuda, North of Illuppaikkadavai.

Commenting on reports in pro-LTTE websites that the Navy targeted fishermen, Commander Dassanayake queried as to why ‘fishermen’ should use 85 horsepower boats and fire at the Navy. Commander Dassanayake said the Navy had established a Naval Blockade between Mannar and Delft Island to block weapons supplies to the LTTE from India and block fleeing Tigers.

“There was a difficulty in the past to operate in the area as it was covering a shallow sea area and we have now introduced a new boat squadron and over 50 naval Dvora boats were deployed to operate the blockade,” he added.

Extracted from,
http://www.dailynews.lk/2008/07/22/sec02.asp

Navy-Air Force combined Attack destroys 06 LTTE Boats and damages Two off Nachchikuda

The combined attack launched by the Sri Lanka Navy and the Sri Lanka Air Force, destroyed six (06) LTTE boats and completely damaged another two in a sea confrontation that lasted for over two hours in the seas off Nachchikuda, located on the North-western coast, today (20th July 2008).

Naval craft on patrol had engaged the enemy craft upon observing a movement of a flotilla of 6-8 LTTE boats south of Nachchikuda around 1630 hrs. The Air Force air support was subsequently called for and the LTTE boat movement was completely immobilized in the combined naval and air attack that ensued. The monitoring of enemy communication has confirmed that more than 15 LTTE cadres have been killed in the confrontation.

Naval troops suffered no casualties and none of their craft received any damages in the sea confrontation.

Extracted from,
http://www.navy.lk/index.php?id=910

Illuppakadavai captured

Troops from the 58 Division (Task Force 1), spearheaded by Commandos today reached the Sea Tiger camp at Illuppakadavai. A heavy firefight ensued today for nearly two hours. Tigers received a severe beating and survivors took tail. Exact number of casualties is unavailable.

The next targets lying in the 58s path are Vellankulam (7km), Nochchikudah (7km), Pallikuda and Pooneryn (20kms). The objective will be the latter, while the three former locations also have some significant sea Tiger Activity.

As Vellankulam ends, the Kilinochchi District begins. Thevampiddi Church to where the Our Lady of Madhu statue was removed to is also situated in Vellankulam. Thevampiddi is a small coastal village on the A-32. The 58 advance towards Vellankulam will happen simultaneously to the 57 advance towards Tunukkai and Mallavi on the eastern flank.

Sea Tigers have been at the receiving end lately, with cadres being killed and assets destroyed on a regular basis. The latest and most serious damage comes from an attack on the Sea Tiger base at Chalai in the Northeastern Coast.

Read more,
http://defencewire.blogspot.com/2008/07/illuppakadavai-captured.html
Photos,
MCNS, http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20080720_02 and http://www.army.lk/morenews.php?id=14598

Two-thirds of LTTE manpower lost: Sri Lankan Army Chief

Claiming that nearly two-thirds of the LTTE manpower and land area have been lost, Sri Lankan Army chief Sarath Fonseka has said the security forces were moving in swiftly in the war with the rebels, forcing them even to abandon their vehicles.

"The LTTE has now lost nearly two thirds of its manpower and land area to the security forces...," Fonseka said.

"The LTTE capability-wise has got depleted to a larger extent. Areas will start collapsing at one stage, now their strength is getting depleted and they have started to leave their vehicles behind.

"In the last one week we recovered three LTTE vehicles. I don't think the Army had ever recovered LTTE vehicles in the past," he said yesterday in Kandy, about 115 kms from Colombo.

The Army Commander made the remarks after paying homage to the Sacred Tooth Relic at the Sri Dalada Maligawa and visiting the Buddhist religious leaders Malwatte and Asgiriya Prelates to receive their blessings.

Read more,
http://www.zeenews.com/articles.asp?aid=456548&sid=SAS
and
http://www.itn.lk/news_03_20080719.html

Wanni operation 17 th July 2008

Source,
http://www.defence.lk/videos/WanniOP20080717.wmv

Army Reaches The Coast Again

The tempo of combat continues to increase, but the LTTE have developed a recruiting and training system that enables them to continue resisting the army. LTTE recruiters keep track of births and go looking for boys and girls when they reach 17. Potentially, that's over 10,000 recruits a year. But with those in hiding, or girls who are married, they get about half that.

This includes those who desert from training, although most go for the indoctrination and become loyal LTTE fighters. But these are young and inexperienced kids with guns. The LTTE cadres (veteran fighters) act as sergeants and officers to supervise the kids, who don't last long in combat. But this forces the army to fight bunker by bunker, and town by town. That reduces the amount of LTTE territory, and population, and the available recruits.

The air force has increased reconnaissance activities, partly because of new Israeli UAVs that arrived recently. The air force is looking for the LTTE construction equipment (bulldozers and such), that are used to build new bunkers, behind ones recently lost to the army.

The construction equipment can build new bunkers quickly enough to halt the army advance. Building new bunkers by hand is not nearly as quick. In many areas, the LTTE already has a second, or third, line of bunkers built. But not everywhere, and that has made construction equipment a prime air force target. And it's hard to hide the construction site, and the newly turned earth.

Read more,
http://www.strategypage.com/qnd/srilank/articles/20080718.aspx

Navy rescues an injured Sri Lankan Fisherman off 150 nautical miles North-east of Trincomalee

Sri Lanka Navy rescued an injured Sri Lankan fisherman 150 nautical miles north-east of Trincomalee on the 16th July 2008 and provided him with medical treatment.

The injured fisherman had left from Matara with his fellow crew members for fishing on board a multi-day fishing trawler. Their fishing trawler had begun to drift due to an engine failure in mid sea. He had fallen overboard while attempting to repair the boat and got seriously injured when he got entangled in the propeller. The fellow crew members had managed to take him on board and had treated him with medicine available on board their vessel.

However, his condition had worsened and the Navy was contacted for help. The Navy’s Offshore Patrol Vessel, SLNS Samudura, was dispatched to rescue the seriously wounded fisherman. The navy medical personnel had provided him with the emergency medical treatment after taking him on board the SLNS Samudura.

The patient, 18-year-old AMP Kasun Danushra of Beldeniya, Kottegoda, is now receiving medical treatment at the Navy Hospital in Trincomalee.

News and Photo,
http://www.navy.lk/index.php?id=898

Sri Lanka's armed forces eye Kilinochchi

Government defence spokesperson Minister Keheliya Rambukwella today revealed that the armed forces have already taken steps to liberate Kilinochchi from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as their next aim.

He pointed out that the security forces’ “liberation” of the Vidataltivu Sea Tiger base, where Sea Tiger leader Soosai had once operated, was a “great victory”. He made these comments at a press briefing held at his residence.

He went on to say that following the capture of the Vidataltivu area, troops consolidated their domination over 90% of the Mannar district. The government expects to cultivate paddy in the Rice Bowl area in Mannar in the future, he added.

Responding to a question asked by a media person on abductions carried out by “white vans”, the Minister said that the only way to resolve this issue is to stop importing “white vans from Japan since 90% of the vans imported to Sri Lanka are white-coloured.”

He added that there was evidence now surfacing that the majority of these cases are fabrications aimed at troubling the government.

Extracted from,
http://www.colombopage.com/archive_08/July18171054JR.html