Monday, January 29, 2007

Two more LTTE camps fall to STF - Kangikadaichi Aru

SL Police Special Task Force personnel continuing on the anti-terror operation "Definite Victory" (Niyathai Jaya) in Ampara district captured two more LTTE camps located inside Kangikadaichi Aru jungle this morning (Tuesday the 30th of January).

The STF sources said that they have found a large food storeroom and a medical unit in the two LTTE camps captured deep inside the woods in Gangamuwa area.

A large stock of medicine and dry foods believed to be donated by INGOs were also found inside the camps. Two double cabs, a van, a mini truck, three motorbikes and few generators are among the other items recovered in the latest phase of the operation.

In September 2006, the STF personnel launched their first anti -terror move in to Ampara district since the signing of 2002 CFA. Since the beginning of last year, the LTTE stepped up violence in Ampara, Thirukkovil, Akkaraipaththuwa, and Bakmitiyawa areas disrupting the normalcy.

The terrorists re-launched their ethnic cleansing campaigns against Sinhalese and Muslim civilians , while the Tamil civilians in Ampara were subjected to a massive recruitment drive that marked with large number of abductions and assassinations.

The STF , the government's only paramilitary has hitherto destroyed 20 odd LTTE strong hold located in the jungles in Ampara district during its operation.

following list of items were recovered at the Medical Center and the food storage captured by the STF personnel during the Operation.


At The Medical Centre

  1. Two Double Cabs loaded with medicines

  2. Three Motor Cycles

  3. A Van (Dolphin)

  4. A Double Cab (Nissan)

  5. A Tractor

  6. A Generator (20Kv)

  7. Three Generators (2.5Kv)

  8. Ten beds

  9. Large quantity of Medicines

  10. A Oxygen Cylinder

  11. Office Equipments

  12. A 21' TV

And at the Storage

  1. Fifty two Rice packs

  2. Twelve tents

  3. Twenty five plastic buckets

(http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20070130_01)

Special Forces visit Lankapatuna Samudragiri Viharaya


Sweet Revenge In Vakarai (Lakbima 2007/01/25)


Friday, January 12, 2007

Sri Lankan commandos have taken at least eight Tiger bases

Sri Lankan commandos have taken at least eight bases used by Tamil Tiger guerrillas to launch attacks in the country's east following an operation lasting several days.(AFP/File/Lakruwan Wanniarachchi)

LTTE Crumbles

January 9, 2007: LTTE defenses continue to crumble, and the organization is regressing back to a terror group, rather than a rebel army. The LTTE is losing control of more territory each day. Suicide bomb attacks are meant to stir up ethnic strife, that will make Tamils angry enough to support the LTTE again. That does not appear to be working, as nearly 600 LTTE fighters have surrendered so far this year.

January 8, 2007: In the east, a major LTTE camp was captured by the army. There, they found a truck loaded with explosives, and rigged to be used as a truck bomb. This was apparently intended for a major attack in the capital.

January 6, 2007: Another LTTE suicide bomber, apparently female, attacked a bus 85 kilometers south of the capital, killing eleven, and wounding up to fifty.

January 5, 2007: An LTTE suicide bomber attacked a bus outside the capital, killing five and wounding nearly fifty others.

January 4, 2007: The army and air force continue their attacks on LTTE targets in the east (where the LTTE is rapidly losing control) and the north (where the LTTE is more powerful.) LTTE losses for December were some 2,200 killed, and many more wounded. LTTE is having a hard time recruiting new people, and has been relying more on coercion. This, however, produces troops of uncertain quality.

(http://www.strategypage.com/qnd/srilank/articles/20070109.aspx)

ZOA - a Dutch Protestant Agency is suspected of running hospital inside LTTE camp in Amparai in East Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Defense spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said that the Netherlands based ZOA; a non-governmental organization registered for refugee care was suspected of running a hospital at a Tamil Tiger insurgent garrison overrun by the country’s elite police commandos, the Special Task Force (STF) recently.

ZOA Refugee Care is an international and Protestant agency, based in the Netherlands, and focuses on relief and rehabilitation among refugees and IDPs. In the beginning ZOA worked in countries in South East Asia. ZOA is the abbreviation in Dutch for Zuid (South) Oost (East) Azie (Asia), the part of the world where ZOA started her work in the seventies.

The Minister said, "We found an NGO fully and totally involved in running a hospital at Stanley Base. It is ZOA."

Stanley Base, one of the largest Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) garrisons in the Eastern Province jungles of Ampara, was overrun by the STF recently and the Defense sources revealed that a NGO who are supposed to care for civilians were actually running a hospital for the guerillas inside the garrison where no civilians were allowed to enter.

But ZOA has announced that the equipment found in the Tiger hospital might have been stolen from their closed down office.

Immediately after the LTTE’s Stanley camp, named after its commander, was abandoned by the Tamil Tigers, the STF said they were amazed to discover the hospital run by the Dutch NGO.

If the NGO is found guilty after a full investigation ZOA will be ordered to leave the country, Rambukwella said.

Rambukwella said certain other groups are also under investigation for helping the LTTE insurgency. But he did not name them.

"Certain NGOs are acting against the normal law of the land and have got involved with subversives. Some have stooped down to assisting the terrorists.”

"Once investigations are over and we have 100 percent confirmation of what we suspect ... we will have to take steps to have their visas revoked or order them to leave," Rambukwella further said, referring to ZOA.

However, ZOA's general affairs manager, Anslem Mudiatta, has denied the charge He told a news agency: "The allegation is of course groundless.”

"We ... closed our office because of fighting and had to leave so many things behind which we couldn't carry with us," he added. "Certain things they say were found in that LTTE (Tiger) hospital is things we presume were taken from our office."

In a second incident January 11, the STF commandos overran another Tiger camp at Kanjikudichchi Aru named Janak in Ampara and found two boats donated by Save the Children and two tents emblazoned with the UN refugee agency UNHCR's logo, officials said.

But defense officials were of the opinion that, in this case, the aid had been stolen from civilians it was donated to by the LTTE.

(http://www.asiantribune.com/index.php?q=node/4103)

ZOA - a Dutch Protestant Agency is suspected of running hospital inside LTTE camp in Amparai in East Sri Lanka By Walter Jayawardhana

Sri Lanka Defense spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said that the Netherlands based ZOA; a non-governmental organization registered for refugee care was suspected of running a hospital at a Tamil Tiger insurgent garrison overrun by the country’s elite police commandos, the Special Task Force (STF) recently.

ZOA Refugee Care is an international and Protestant agency, based in the Netherlands, and focuses on relief and rehabilitation among refugees and IDPs. In the beginning ZOA worked in countries in South East Asia. ZOA is the abbreviation in Dutch for Zuid (South) Oost (East) Azie (Asia), the part of the world where ZOA started her work in the seventies.

The Minister said, "We found an NGO fully and totally involved in running a hospital at Stanley Base. It is ZOA."

Stanley Base, one of the largest Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) garrisons in the Eastern Province jungles of Ampara, was overrun by the STF recently and the Defense sources revealed that a NGO who are supposed to care for civilians were actually running a hospital for the guerillas inside the garrison where no civilians were allowed to enter.

But ZOA has announced that the equipment found in the Tiger hospital might have been stolen from their closed down office.

Immediately after the LTTE’s Stanley camp, named after its commander, was abandoned by the Tamil Tigers, the STF said they were amazed to discover the hospital run by the Dutch NGO.

If the NGO is found guilty after a full investigation ZOA will be ordered to leave the country, Rambukwella said.

Rambukwella said certain other groups are also under investigation for helping the LTTE insurgency. But he did not name them.

"Certain NGOs are acting against the normal law of the land and have got involved with subversives. Some have stooped down to assisting the terrorists.”

"Once investigations are over and we have 100 percent confirmation of what we suspect ... we will have to take steps to have their visas revoked or order them to leave," Rambukwella further said, referring to ZOA.

However, ZOA's general affairs manager, Anslem Mudiatta, has denied the charge He told a news agency: "The allegation is of course groundless.”

"We ... closed our office because of fighting and had to leave so many things behind which we couldn't carry with us," he added. "Certain things they say were found in that LTTE (Tiger) hospital is things we presume were taken from our office."

In a second incident January 11, the STF commandos overran another Tiger camp at Kanjikudichchi Aru named Janak in Ampara and found two boats donated by Save the Children and two tents emblazoned with the UN refugee agency UNHCR's logo, officials said.

But defense officials were of the opinion that, in this case, the aid had been stolen from civilians it was donated to by the LTTE.

(http://www.asiantribune.com/index.php?q=node/4103)

Tamil Tigers in a death groan in the East of Sri Lanka, after the STF capture of Janak Camp in Amparai

Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam is in a ‘death groan’ and counting their days in the restive East of Sri Lanka, when they lost one more camp in the Amparai district yesterday to the Sri Lanka Police Special Task Force.

The Police Special Task Force (STF) wrested the control of LTTE’s 'Janak’ camp, situated west of the earlier captured ‘Stanley camp' in Kanchikudichcharu in the Ampara district.

The Stanley camp was the biggest base in the Amparai district. Loss of Stanley base and the Janak camp is a huge draw back of the Tigers stronghold in the Eastern province, security sources said.

Initially, LTTE cadres fired mortars from the 'Janak' camp at STF personnel deployed around the "Stanley Base" which was captured by the STF on Monday 08 January, according to the military sources.

In the battle that ensued, STF on Wednesday morning captured LTTE’s camp called 'Janak' and six other small camps in Kanchjudichcharu, Ampara, killing four LTTE cadres. Two STF personnel sustained minor injuries, a military source said.

The capture of ‘Stanley’ and ‘Janak’ camps is a strategic victory that would eliminate the terrorist threat posed to Security Forces camps in the East, said Military spokesman Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe .

According to Media Centre for National Security the STF personnel have found in the captured Janak camp, a considerable stock of STF like uniforms and another stock of STF camouflage cloths and Army camouflage cloths and ten sewing machines – indicating the presence of a LTTE apparel factory.

In addition, the stock includes a sniper with night vision, a single eye night vision sniper, one HK LMG and a ‘Gamin’ Global Positioning System. Three trail bikes, one 15KVA Generator were also in the list of items recovered.

Two boats with name and logo of the Non Governmental Organization ‘Save the Children’ and two tents with the logo of UNHCR were also recovered from the site.

(http://www.asiantribune.com/index.php?q=node/4102)

Sri Lanka 2006: LTTE’s unbalanced score card by Col R Hariharan (retd.)

The year 2006 may be called the year of reckoning for LTTE. What LTTE had been sowing during the four years of ceasefire from 2002 came back to haunt it in 2006. It was also a year that saw LTTE reaching the point of abandoning the East to Karuna’s control. The year also saw the international community, already tired of LTTE’s old rhetoric, got increasingly disenchanted with LTTE’s methods. This enabled the Sri Lanka President Rajapaksa, who was elected thanks to LTTE’s ‘advisory’ to Tamils to boycott the elections, to turn the peace process into a military dialogue, even as the international community watched on the sidelines.

With the rise of Sinhala chauvinism, the danger of the war against LTTE turning into a war against Tamils has approached near reality. The reincarnation of the modified version of Prevention of Terrorism Act and the de-merger are the other fallouts of the weakened equation LTTE had arrived at with the Government towards the end of 2006. For an organization that spoke of peace with a military superiority in 2002, it is a steep decline.

The ceasefire year 2006 also had the unsavory distinction of about 3500 people of all ethnic groups losing their lives. That included over 1000 LTTE men, women and children.

And all this has cost the Tamil civilians dearly because they formed the bulk of the 215,000 internally displaced people who fled the war zones. Over 16,000 of them sold everything they possessed to seek safety in Tamil Nadu. At least a thousand of them were killed, their lives cut short by the war.

LTTE’s efforts to push India to pressurise Government of Sri Lanka, without uttering even a word of regret for its misdeeds in India, as expected, did not yield any worthwhile results except more statements from Indian politicians.

LTTE score card 2006

To those who do not subscribe to LTTE methodology, LTTE’s overall goal appears murky. LTTE appears to be trying hard to push the clock back to 2001, after shedding the blood of at least 3,000 of its own kind in the years of peace, and complaining to the international community when the fortunes of war went awry. The bottom line is that LTTE strategies of 1996 and 2000-2001 are not working in 2006 as international ambience has changed. In a nutshell the only achievement of ceasefire period appears to be that LTTE had sacrificed the international sympathy the Tamil cause had enjoyed all these years, to crown itself as the sole spokesman for Tamils in Sri Lanka.

Of course there were other ‘gains’ of earlier years that lost their shine in 2006:

Assertion of territorial legitimacy: LTTE has created an administrative structure, including police and judiciary, to run the civil administration in the areas under its control. This has buttressed LTTE’s claim of running a de facto state as part of its quest to gain legitimacy. From the early stages of ceasefire it sought to gain recognition of parity with the Sri Lanka state and demanded the right for freedom for Sea Tiger boats to move in Sri Lanka waters. However the SLMM curbed such moves when LTTE misused this freedom to launch operations against Sri Lanka Navy in 2005-2006. But LTTE does not appear to have given up its quest for legitimacy. Armed Sea Tigers seized a Jordanian ship MV Farah III, carrying 14000 tons of rice, which was stranded 8 nautical miles off Mullaitivu due to engine trouble on December 23, 2006. They arrested the 14- member Arab crew and whisked them away to Kilinochi. According the ship’s captain, Sea Tigers also confiscated the ship’s communication equipment and computers. In international terms, this action is called piracy. If LTTE wanted to reassert its claim to legitimacy in 2006, it could not have chosen a worse way of articulating it.

Elimination of Military Intelligence assets: During the first two years of peace, LTTE had systematically hunted down operatives of Military Intelligence. These MI assets built over the years had enabled the Security Forces to conduct successful deep penetration operations inside LTTE controlled territory. LTTE’s victims included PLOTE Mohan and ten other MI agents, MI unit commander Major Nazim Mutaliph, and Inspector Jeyaratnam. LTTE also targeted senior military officers in 2005-2006. Though it failed in its attempt on the Army Commander Lt General Sarath Fonseka, it managed to kill Major General Parami Kulatunge, Deputy Chief of Staff, further aggravating the military situation. The net result was the Sri Lanka Army gained a handle to pound the LTTE positions relentlessly by both air and artillery fire.

Occupation of strategic pockets: In the North, LTTE carried out sporadic guerilla actions to prevent the free movement of troops even in areas outside LTTE control. However, the strong military response from Sri Lanka Security Forces in 2006 reduced LTTE to be totally defensive. Now LTTE has started attacking soft civilian targets in Sinhala predominant areas and a feeling of déjà vu is unfolding. Unlike the North, in the East clearly demarcated forward defended lines do not exist. Over the years LTTE took advantage of this to establish its presence in areas like Sampur, Mutur East and Mavil Aru to interfere with naval operations and dominate the operation of Trincomalee harbor. In 2006, Security Forces evicted the LTTE from these areas and confined it to a small pocket in Vakarai after a series of military operations. Tamils driven from their homes in this region due to these operations are still stranded. And the risk of these Tamils losing their ‘traditional homeland’ forever in the East is real now.

Recruitment and training of fresh cadres: According to UNICEF, as on Apr 30, 2006 LTTE still had 1440 children recruited since ceasefire (859 of them now 18 years or above). These children were apparently retained out of the total 5375 children LTTE had recruited since the ceasefire. Despite LTTE’s efforts at damage control, internationally LTTE has gained the dubious recognition as one of the front line child recruiters in 2006. No amount of finger pointing at the Sri Lanka Security Forces, which was also named for helping Karuna in such recruitment, is going to absolve LTTE.

Sea Tiger actions: LTTE carried out a number of successful Sea Tiger operations during 2005. But during 2006, the revamped Sri Lanka military leadership ensured that most of such attacks were either neutralised or compromised even before they were launched. This raises a question mark on the much-vaunted organisational secrecy of LTTE, if not the operational competency of Sea Tigers in dominating the coastal seas.

LTTE’s international support network: LTTE had used the first two years of ceasefire to build ‘legitimate’ relations with European nations. This helped its international support network to operate without interference, as the Government of Sri Lanka wanted to play down such demonstrations of ‘functional autonomy.’ But after walking out of the peace process, LTTE arrogated the right to kill not only military targets but also innocent civilians in scores, even while talking of peace. Such killings and perhaps the assassination of Foreign Minister Kadirgamar in a way, made the EU re-examine its relationship with LTTE. The EU ban on LTTE came a little later after advance notices of caution.

The Human Rights Watch published a well-documented report on extortions carried out by LTTE in Canada in March 2006. And the new political leadership in Canada slapped a ban on LTTE. Two Tamil social organizations, known for their pro-LTTE leanings in Canada are under investigation for various illegal actions in support of LTTE. The UK, the traditional tolerant home of LTTE, had to intervene when LTTE inveigled into the Wanni two of its erstwhile benefactors, Rajasingham Jeyadevan and AK Vivekananthan and held them captive in a bid to seize control of a prosperous Hindu temple in Britain. Already the Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) was under investigation in Britain. The long arm of law in Britain started devoting its unwelcome attention on LTTE activities in the UK since then. And the story continues. As a result of all these events, LTTE’s international supporters among Tamil Diaspora have become less vocal, particularly when LTTE needs their full-throated support.

LTTE arms procurement: LTTE is reported to have imported at least 12 shiploads of arms during the ceasefire period. It was able to upgrade its artillery, anti-tank and small arms to improve its firepower with these imports. (According to the Sri Lanka Army Commander Lt General Fonseka, LTTE managed to increase its holdings of 122 MM guns from 20 to 100 through such imports.)

However, in 2006 there were major setbacks to LTTE’s arms procurement. In a sting operation in August 2006, FBI arrested 13 Sri Lankan ethnic Tamils domiciled in the U.S. and Canada for multiple crimes connected with LTTE. The crimes included attempting to purchase illegal arms from FBI agents posing as arms dealers on Long Island, USA, attempting to obtain classified information, conspiring to bribe U.S. public officials in an effort to remove the LTTE from the U.S. State Department’s list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations, and dealing in illegal financial transactions with the LTTE. The wish-list of arms included up to 100 Russian-made SA-18 shoulder-fired, surface-to-air missiles, 500 AK-47 assault rifles and other weapons. According to the FBI agents, those arrested were seeking missiles capable of shooting down Sri Lanka Air Force’s Kfir fighter jets. In another operation FBI arrested six persons including four Tamils and two Indonesians in Guam in October 2006 when they deposited $ 700,000 with undercover agents in Maryland as a down payment for millions of dollars worth of missiles, sniper rifles, submachine guns and grenade launchers for LTTE. The Government of Sri Lanka made special efforts to persuade Cambodia, Indonesia and Thailand to tighten their controls to prevent such sales to LTTE. Overall, the coming years are going to be tough for LTTE to buy and transport arms as before due to the tightening of international maritime anti terror controls now in force. Protocols like the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Automatic Identification System (AIS) cargo requirements and the International Ship and Port Facility Security Initiative (ISPS) code have been introduced which make maritime traffic more accountable.

Erosion of Norway’s mediation efforts: Norway had been enjoying close relationship with LTTE all along. LTTE had not hesitated to leverage this relationship, particularly the personal rapport that existed by the Norwegian peace envoy and minister Erik Solheim and the late Anton Balasingham, Prabhakaran’s political advisor, to its advantage. Despite this, during the year 2006 LTTE has practically neutralized the Norwegian peace effort by making it difficult for Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) to effectively operate after the EU banned LTTE. This has made it convenient for Sri Lanka Security Forces to launch military actions, even if they contravened the terms of the Ceasefire Agreement without any inhibitions. Norway pulling out of the mediation process at least for a while appears a distinct possibility.

Lack of credibility

The LTTE is perhaps the strongest non-state actor with military capability in Asia. Its falling fortunes in 2006 can be attributed to certain characteristics of Prabhakaran’s leadership conduct of LTTE. These have eroded the organization’s credibility:

• Prabhakaran has been able to conduct LTTE’s military operations with considerable thought to strategy. However, in political decision-making he seems to lack the flexibility of thought and pragmatism of approach. Due to this weakness a number of impulsive political decisions he had taken have created long term problems for the organization. The killing of Kadirgamar and the boycott of Presidential poll 2005 are such recent decisions that have adversely impacted LTTE fortunes.

• The monolithic and egocentric leadership of LTTE under Prabhakaran does not encourage free exchange of ideas. As a result a second line leadership has not bloomed. In handling the peace process, this has created problems in dealing with other countries, particularly while dealing with the Government of Sri Lanka, which operates with a well-oiled bureaucracy. This problem is likely to be aggravated by the recent death of Anton Balasingham.

• Prabhakaran’s abiding faith in the gun exhibited so readily even during the ceasefire period, particularly to get political and military leaders eliminated, has increased the hiatus between what LTTE says and what it does. Thus LTTE has not been able to carry its message with credibility in the international media.

• Over the years LTTE has gained the reputation as anti-intellectual body, thanks to its systematic and often mindless elimination of Tamil intellectuals. Any such killing is now generally attributed to the LTTE, whatever LTTE may say. The assassination of Ketheshwaran in 2006, the latest in such killings has been internationally condemned and the adverse fallout has naturally come on LTTE. As a result Tamil intellectuals, who share the same national self-determination vision for Tamils as LTTE, have been reluctant to actively join the struggle under the flag of LTTE.

• LTTE’s conduct in utter disregard to international norms on human rights and humanitarian laws has come under severe criticism of international watchdog bodies and the UN. These relate to a large number of issues including child recruitment, illegal arrests, kidnapping etc., apart from assassinations and suicide bombings. The international criticism of LTTE peaked in the year 2006.

• Prabhakaran has never shown any hesitation in eliminating those whom he considers as obstruction to his objectives regardless of his personal relationship with them. At the same time whenever the LTTE’s political or military interests demanded, Prabhakaran had shown no hesitation even to sup with the enemy. Even as the IPKF was fighting with LTTE, and a political lobby in India was actively working to end the war, he opened a line for rapprochement with the Sri Lanka President Premadasa in 1989. After Premadasa managed to send the Indian troops out of Sri Lanka and eased the pressure on LTTE, Prabhakaran walked out on Premadasa. And Premadasa’s life ended the way former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s at the hands of a suicide bomber.

Given this background, it is difficult to predict how LTTE would behave in the year 2007. Undoubtedly, it is going to be more difficult than 2006, not only for LTTE but also for Sri Lanka as well, as conventional operations heat up. However, LTTE is not an organisation to be cowed down by fear of failure. It has shown great resilience in the past to bounce back. But when conventional operations threaten its existence, LTTE could expand and extend its unconventional terrorist operations in Sri Lanka.

With the Norwegian mediation no more effective, Sri Lanka could be heading to an outburst of terrorist violence. Perhaps, the two explosions in public transport buses that killed 21 civilians in Galle and Gampaha districts in the first week of the New Year were signals of things to come. LTTE’s political wing leader SP Tamilselvan earlier in the week had warned of severe repercussions after Air Force bombed a settlement in Mannar killing 14 persons. Bishop of Mannar has confirmed with his own eyewitness account that those killed were civilians including children and not LTTE cadres of a Naval Base. It is to the credit of the people of Sri Lanka, than political leaders, that they have maintained ethnic harmony despite sustained grave provocations from all sides. If more and more acts of violence and retributions are carried out the limits of tolerance of ethnic communities may well be broken.

The lack of credibility in LTTE makes it difficult for countries like India or the UK where Sri Lanka Tamils enjoy considerable goodwill, to take any initiative on their own to bring back peace in the Island. LTTE’s military initiatives afresh are not going to dramatically improve either its fortunes or lead to a lasting solution. Fortunately for LTTE, in the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) there a number of experienced Tamil politicians who have considerable knowledge and experience in handling political initiatives. It is high time Prabhakaran used their talent positively, not only to his advantage but also to the advantage of Tamils at large. And that can come through only through lasting peace. Will Prabhakaran take such an initiative in the interest of the people?

Of course the rising Sinhala chauvinism and the Sri Lanka State and polity also have an equal share in the ongoing dismantling of the peace process. And that is altogether another theme to analyse.

Col R Hariharan, a retired Military Intelligence specialist on South Asia, served with the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka (1987-1990) as Head of Intelligence.

(http://www.asiantribune.com/index.php?q=node/4100)

Sri Lanka rebels suffer fresh setback, lose control of a major camp in Amparai

The LTTE has suffered yet another major setback, after losing control of a major (LTTE) camp in the Eastern province on Monday afternoon, the media centre for national security told the Asian Tribune.

The camp named 'Stanley' situated in Amparai's Kanjikudichcharu was often used by the Tamil Tiger rebels to attack security forces. The camp was also reportedly a training base for the rebel's under age recruits who underwent arms training there.

"The camp came under security forces control by 2.00 Monday afternoon. The entire operation was carried out by the police Special Task Force unit," a centre spokesman said.

The rebels who were present at the camp at the time of the operation reportedly fled the camp leaving behind all their belongings as they were unable to defend themselves successfully.

On a subsequent search operation, the special task force had recovered a large cache of explosives, arms/ammunition and anti-personnel mines.

"In addition to the Stanley camp, the STF personnel have found a fully equipped hospital funded by an INGO, a warehouse filled with dry rations meant for civilians, 2 sub-camps, an intelligence camp, a circuit bungalow and a cafeteria, abandoned by the fleeing tigers.

STF had also found a water bowser donated by the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), 3 motor cycles, Generators, satellite antennas and coffins," the centre said.

Three security personnel who sustained injured during the operation was rushed to the Ampara hospital.

(http://www.asiantribune.com/index.php?q=node/4062)

Thursday, January 11, 2007

A Police Special Task Force (STF) Commando gestures during a tactical operations demonstration

A Sri Lankan Police Special Task Force (STF) Commando gestures during a tactical operations demonstration at a passing out parade in Katukurunda, some 43kms south of Colombo, 28 December 2006. Some 313 recruits concluded their STF training at the training centre in Kalutara. The nucleus of the STF the para-military arm of the country's police force was formed in 1983, drawing on policemen already in service and having them trained by the Army in the handling of infantry weapons and given basic training in "jungle operations", and who are deployed essentially for counter terrorist and counter insurgency operations within the country and also undertake close protection duties.

Special Task Force Commandos travel by military jeep in Ampara


Special Task Force soldiers travel by military jeep in Ampara, Sri Lanka January 1, 2007. A soldier was killed and another two were injured when suspected Tamil rebels detonated a claymore mine targeting security forces personnel, the defence ministry said. REUTERS/Stringer (SRI LANKA)

STF captures another Tiger camp: military

The Special Task Force yesterday captured another LTTE camp in Kanchikudichchiaru in Ampara killing at least 4 rebel cadres and recovering several boats and tents donated by two world organisations, the military spokesman said.

Two STF personnel were injured in the battle.

“Elite forces personnel recovered boats and tents donated by Save the Children and UNHCR from the newly captured LTTE 'Janaka' base in Kanchikudichcharu,” spokesman Prasad Samarasinghe claimed.

He said the two boats had ‘Save the Children’ marked on them and believed the LTTE had been forcibly taking over tsunami aid donated by NGOs to affected people.

The troops also captured a large factory inside the ‘Janaka’ camp where uniforms were stitched for LTTE cadres, he said.

The military spokesman said several military items including weapons and ammunition, motor cycles and other vehicles had also been recovered from within the camp.

Among the other items recovered were a generator (15 Kw), 10 sewing machines, one Global Positioning System (GPS), STF uniforms, one roll of STF camouflage material, a stock of Army Ranaviru apparel camouflage material, one night vision sniper rifle, one monocular night vision device and a light machine gun (LMG).

The STF gained control of seven sub-camps of the Tigers in the vicinity of the newly overrun ‘Janaka’ camp and confirmed that one of the camps captured was meant for female cadres.

LTTE cadres had launched mortar attacks from the ‘Janaka’ camp at STF personnel deployed around the ‘Stanley Base’ which fell to the forces on Monday.

A fully equipped hospital known as ‘Thileepan’ situated inside the Stanley Base was discovered.

The military claimed the ‘Thileepan’ hospital had been built by a Netherlands based NGO identified as ZOA. The NGO had also built some 500 houses utilising tsunami aid to LTTE mahaveera families in the Kanchikudichicharu forest area.

(http://www.dailymirror.lk/2007/01/12/front/04.asp)

Rebel's camp captured in Sri Lanka's east

Sri Lanka's elite police captured a major camp of the Tamil Tiger rebels in the east on Thursday and killed at least four rebels in the action, said the military.

The Special Task Force (STF) of the police seized the Janak camp of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the Ampara district in the morning and two STF personnel were injured in the confrontation, said the Media Center for National Security in a statement.

According to the statement, the Janak camp is situated west of the recently overrun Stanly base, the LTTE's biggest camp in the Ampara district.

"The capture of LTTE's Stanly and the Janak camps is a strategic step forward in eliminating the terrorist threat on security forces camps in the east," said the statement.

The STF said a large factory where uniforms were stitched for LTTE cadres had been situated inside the Janak camp. Mortar cycles and other vehicles had also been recovered from within the camp.

Sri Lanka's Army Chief Sarath Fonseka said earlier that the military was determined to liberate the east from the LTTE and later focus on the north.

Conflict between the government troops and the LTTE has been escalating since December 2005, with more than 3800 people being killed.

The Norwegian backed peace process and the truce agreement signed between the two parties in 2002 are currently stalled as a result of the violence.

(http://english.people.com.cn/200701/11/print20070111_340346.html)

STF captures another Tiger camp with a garment factory in Eastern Sri Lanka

Elite Sri Lankan Special Task Force (STF) captured another LTTE camp in Kanchijudichcharu in the Ampara district killing at least four Tiger terrorists this morning, military said.

They said that STF personnel who captured LTTE’s Ampara district main camp known as Stanley Base in Kanchijudichcharu last Monday (08), captured the ‘Janaka’ camp, situated west of the Stanley Base.

LTTE cadres had launched mortar attacks from the 'Janaka' camp at STF personnel deployed around the Stanley Base.

According to the STF, a large factory where uniforms were stitched for LTTE cadres had been situated inside the Janaka camp. Motorcycles and other vehicles had also been recovered from the camp.

(http://www.colombopage.com/archive_07/January11125043JV.html)

Another major Tiger camp captured by Rafik Jalaldeen

AMPARA: The Special Task Force captured another LTTE camp "Janak" and six other camps in Kanchjudichcharu, Ampara last morning, killing four LTTE cadres in a retaliatory attack.

Two STF personnel sustained minor injuries, Military spokesman Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe said.

The LTTE cadres fired mortars from the "Janak" camp at STF personnel deployed around the "Stanley Base" which was captured by the STF on Monday, the Brigadier told the Daily News.

He said the Stanley Camp was the largest camp of the LTTE in the Ampara district. The "Janak" camp was west of the "Stanley" camp.

The capture of "Stanley and "Janak" camps was a strategic victory that would eliminate the terrorist threat posed to Security Forces camps in the East, he added.

The "Janak camp' doubled as a large factory where LTTE uniforms were being tailored. "The STF personnel also recovered a haul of weapons, motorcycles and other vehicles from the "Janak" camp," Brigadier Samarasinghe said.

According to the Media Centre for National Security, three LTTE cadres surrendered at the Mavedivembu Army road block yesterday morning claiming they were subjected to extreme cruelty by the Tigers.

The surrendees are Vijayakumar (23), K. Sadeeshwaran (17) and Rojan (18). "They were abducted by the LTTE and forcefully taken to an LTTE camp in Karadiyanaru for military training," MCNS sources added.

(http://www.dailynews.lk/2007/01/12/sec01.asp)

Rebel's camp captured in Sri Lanka's east

COLOMBO, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's elite police captured a major camp of the Tamil Tiger rebels in the east on Thursday and killed at least four rebels in the action, said the military.

The Special Task Force (STF) of the police seized the Janak camp of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the Ampara district in the morning and two STF personnel were injured in the confrontation, said the Media Center for National Security in a statement.

According to the statement, the Janak camp is situated west of the recently overrun Stanly base, the LTTE's biggest camp in the Ampara district.

"The capture of LTTE's Stanly and the Janak camps is a strategic step forward in eliminating the terrorist threat on security forces camps in the east," said the statement.

The STF said a large factory where uniforms were stitched for LTTE cadres had been situated inside the Janak camp. Mortar cycles and other vehicles had also been recovered from within the camp.

Sri Lanka's Army Chief Sarath Fonseka said earlier that the military was determined to liberate the east from the LTTE and later focus on the north.

Conflict between the government troops and the LTTE has been escalating since December 2005, with more than 3800 people being killed.

The Norwegian backed peace process and the truce agreement signed between the two parties in 2002 are currently stalled as a result of the violence.

(http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-01/11/content_5594701.htm)

Sri Lanka probes aid groups for suspected rebel links By Simon Gardner

COLOMBO, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka is investigating a number of foreign and local aid groups it suspects may be helping Tamil Tiger rebels, and may banish a Dutch organisation from the island, a top defence official said on Thursday.

The military said this week it had found equipment belonging to Netherlands-based ZOA Refugee Care at a rebel base overrun by the military in the eastern district of Ampara.

ZOA, whose projects are focused on helping refugees in Sri Lanka's restive east, said that any recovered equipment with their logo must have been stolen.

Defence spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said if found guilty, offending groups would be expelled from the country. He did not name other groups under investigation.

"We found an NGO fully and totally involved in running a hospital at Stanley Base. It is ZOA," Rambukwella said by telephone.

"Certain NGOs are acting against the normal law of the land and have got involved with subversives. Some have stooped down to assisting the terrorists.

"Once investigations are over and we have 100 percent confirmation of what we suspect ... we will have to take steps to have their visas cancelled or have them leave," he added, referring to ZOA.

ZOA's general affairs manager, Anslem Mudiatta, said: "The allegation is of course groundless.

"We ... closed our office because of fighting and had to leave so many things behind we couldn't carry with us," he added. "Certain things they say were found in that LTTE (Tiger) hospital are things we presume were taken from our office."

The conflict has forced many aid groups to shelve or abandon projects in conflict-affected parts of the north and east, where aid workers say both the military and the rebels are hampering access to civilians trapped in the crossfire.

In a separate incident on Thursday, elite police commandos overran another Tiger camp in Ampara and found two boats donated by Save the Children and two tents emblazoned with the UN refugee agency UNHCR's logo, officials said.

But they said it was clear that, in this case, the aid had been stolen from civilians it was donated to. Neither aid group is being investigated, the officials said.

WITCH-HUNT

Some aid workers fear the government is mounting a witch-hunt against aid groups to appease hardline nationalists who seek to blame the international community for the ravages of the island's ethnic conflict.

The European Commission on Wednesday endorsed the work of ZOA along with U.N. agencies and the Red Cross, and called for greater access to help conflict-displaced civilians.

"It's totally clear that ZOA are not helping the Tigers at all," said Jeevan Thiagarajah, head of the Consortium for Humanitarian Agencies, the main umbrella body for aid agencies in the country. "I think it's a pure and simple misunderstanding."

More than 67,000 civilians, troops and rebel fighters have been killed in the conflict since 1983.

(http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/CrisesArticle.aspx?storyId=COL227596&WTmodLoc=World-C4-Crisis-1)

Elite cops capture LTTE's 'JANAK' camp

The Special Task Force (STF) captured another LTTE camp known as 'JANAK' in KANCHIJUDICHCHARU in the AMPARA district killing at least 4 tiger terrorists this morning (11)

LTTE cadres had launched mortar attacks from the 'JANAK' camp at STF personnel deployed around the 'STANLY' base captured by the Special Task Force last Monday (08).The newly overrun 'JANAK' camp is situated west of 'STANLY' base. The 'STANLY' base was the LTTE's biggest camp situated in the AMPARA district. The capture of LTTE's 'STANLY' and the 'JANAK' camps is a strategic step forward in eliminating the terrorist threat on security forces camps in the East.

According to the STF, a large factory where uniforms were stitched for LTTE cadres had been situated inside the 'JANAK' camp. Mortar cycles and other vehicles had also been recovered from within the camp.

Two STF personnel sustained injuries in the confrontation.

More details will follow.


(http://www.nationalsecurity.lk/fullnews.php?id=3415)

Elite Police Special Task Force (STF) commandos over run "Janak" and "Stanley"Terror base - Kangikadaichi Aru

Elite cops capture Terror base "Janak"- Kangikadaichi Aru

Sri Lanka Police Special Task Force (STF) personnel captured another LTTE base named "Janak" located at Kangikadaichi Aru in Ampara this afternoon (Thursday the 11th of January).

The Defence sources in the East told defence.lk that the newly captured LTTE camp is located west of the earlier captured 'Stanley base" deep inside the Kangikadaichi Aru jungle.

The STF personnel marching ahead in their operation "Definite Victory" had to cross a terrain full of booby traps and anti personnel mines until they were ambushed by the LTTE terrorists around 11.a.m today. The STF personnel effectively retaliated to the attack forcing the terrorists to withdraw further into the jungle.

Following the attack the STF troops found four bodies of slain LTTE cadres. Two STF personnel sustained injuries and were directed to the immediate medical attention.

Having repulsed the attack the STF troops further advanced westward and came cross an LTTE base which had been abandoned by the terrorists in the face of STF retaliation.

The captured camp has been later identified as the "Janak" base which was used by the LTTE to station their heavy mortar guns and carried out shelling at Thirukkovil and Kangikadaichi Aru STF camps during last few months.

Three motor bikes, an electric generator, a Global Positioning System device and a fully equipped sewing centre have also been found inside the captured base. The STF troops are presently consolidating their defences in the area.

The Following are the list of items recovered by the STF in the above attack :

1. Trail mortar cycles 03 (Yamaha125 01/Yamaha250 02)
2. Generators 01 (15 Kw)
3. Sewing machines 10
4. GPS ( Global Positioning System) 01
5. STF uniforms and self dressing
6. STF camouflage material 01 roll
7. A stock of Army Ranaviru apparel camouflage material
8. Boats 02 marked 'SAVED THE CHILDREN'
9. Tents 02 with UNHCR mark on them
10. Night vision sniper rifle 01
11. Monocular night vision 01
12. Light machine gun (LMG) 01

INGO Tsunami Aid Found in Newly Captured LTTE's 'JANAK' Camp

The Special Task Force (STF) recovered boats and tents donated by two international Non Governmental Organizations (NGO), SAVE THE CHILDREN and UNHCR from the newly captured LTTE 'JANAK' base in KANDIKUDICHCHIARU in the AMPARA district today (11). The two boats had 'SAVE THE CHILDREN' marked on them. The LTTE has been forcibly taking over tsunami aid donated to affected people by NGOs.

The following were recovered from the 'JANAK' base:

1. Trail mortar cycles 03 (Yamaha125 01/Yamaha250 02)
2. Generators 01 (15 Kw)
3. Sewing machines 10
4. GPS ( Global Positioning System) 01
5. STF uniforms and self dressing
6. STF camouflage material 01 roll
7. A stock of Army Ranaviru apparel camouflage material
8. Boats 02 marked 'SAVED THE CHILDREN'
9. Tents 02 with UNHCR mark on them
10. Night vision sniper rifle 01
11. Monocular night vision 01
12. Light machine gun (LMG) 01

A fully equipped hospital known as 'THILIPPAN' which was also situated inside the STANLY base was seized by the STF last Monday (08). The 'THILIPPAN' hospital had been built by a NGO called ZOA. The same NGO has build around 500 houses under tsunami aid to LTTE mahaveera families in the KANCHIKUDICHCHIARU forest area.


(http://www.nationalsecurity.lk/fullnews.php?id=3421)

Elite cops continues rescuing east from Tiger stronghold

The Police Special Task Force (STF) has taken the control of another key camp of the LTTE in the east. This morning (11) the STF took over the control of the “Janak’ camp situated west of the earlier captured ‘Stanley camp” in Kanchikudichcharu in the Ampara district, Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) says.

The LTTE, loosing their stronger base have started firing mortar attacks at the STF troops located around the Stanley camp, basing themselves at the Janak camp. Hence, the STF was compelled to take the control of the camp as a defensive measure.

According to the information received by the MCNS, on recovery the STF personnel have found a considerable stock of STF like uniforms and another stock of STF camouflage cloths and Army camouflage cloths and ten sewing machines – indicating the presence of a LTTE apparel factory.

In addition, the stock includes a sniper with night vision, a single eye night vision sniper, one HK LMG and a ‘Gamin’ Global Positioning System. Three trail bikes, one 15KVA Generator were also in the list of items recovered.

Two boats with name and logo of the Non Governmental Organisation ‘Save the Children’ and two tents with the logo of UNHCR were also recovered from the site.

The Stanley base is the biggest camp in the Eastern parts. The loss of Stanley base and the Janak camp is a huge draw back of the Tigers stronghold in the Eastern province, security sources state.

Four Tiger terrorists were killed during the retaliations. Two STF personnel have sustained injuries in the confrontation.

‘Stanley camp’ in Kanchikudichcharu was the main centre used by the LTTE to continuously carry out attacks on the security forces positioned in the area and the STF took over the control on 8th January, Monday. In addition this was also the main centre to train the forcibly recruited children by the LTTE and it had housed a large number of child soldiers.

(http://www.news.lk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1494&Itemid=44)

Sri Lanka: INGO tsunami aid found in newly captured LTTE's 'JANAK' camp

The Special Task Force (STF) recovered boats and tents donated by two international Non Governmental Organizations (NGO), SAVE THE CHILDREN and UNHCR from the newly captured LTTE 'JANAK' base in KANDIKUDICHCHIARU in the AMPARA district today (11). The two boats had 'SAVE THE CHILDREN' marked on them. The LTTE has been forcibly taking over tsunami aid donated to affected people by NGOs.

The following were recovered from the 'JANAK' base:

1. Trail mortar cycles - 03 (Yamaha125 01/Yamaha250 02)

2. Generators - 01 (15 Kw)

3. Sewing machines - 10

4. GPS ( Global Positioning System) - 01

5. STF uniforms and self dressing

6. STF camouflage material - 01 roll

7. A stock of Army Ranaviru apparel camouflage material

8. Boats - 02 marked 'SAVED THE CHILDREN'

9. Tents - 02 with UNHCR mark on them

10. Night vision sniper rifle - 01

11. Monocular night vision - 01

12. Light machine gun (LMG) - 01

A fully equipped hospital known as 'THILIPPAN' which was also situated inside the STANLY base was seized by the STF last Monday (08). The 'THILIPPAN' hospital had been built by a NGO called ZOA. The same NGO has build around 500 houses under tsunami aid to LTTE mahaveera families in the KANCHIKUDICHCHIARU forest area.

(http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/YSAR-6XCSLF?OpenDocument)

Sri Lanka troops take Tiger base after killing four

Elite police commandos captured a key Tamil Tiger base after killing four guerrillas in a confrontation in eastern Sri Lanka, the defence ministry said.

The police Special Task Force commandos took the base known as "Janaka" in the district of Ampara, the ministry said, adding that four members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were killed.

It said two STF commandos were wounded in the operation. The Tigers had maintained a uniform tailoring operation at the "Janaka" base, the ministry said on Thursday.

The latest attack came a day after the military said it killed 14 Tiger rebels on Tuesday and Wednesday in the same region. Two more rival rebels were killed by the LTTE on Wednesday.

More than 60,000 people have been killed in Sri Lanka's Tamil separatist conflict in the past 35 years and diplomatic attempts to end the conflict politically have ended in failure.

Government troops and Tamil Tiger guerrillas have been trading attacks across the island's embattled northern and eastern regions with more than 3,800 people killed in the past year despite a truce in place since February 2002.

(http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070111/wl_sthasia_afp/srilankaunrest_070111122742&printer=1)

Security forces capture explosive-laden truck meant for targets in capital, military says

Sri Lanka`s elite anti-terrorist commandoes seized a truck packed with explosives when they overran a key Tamil rebel base in the country`s east. The military said the vehicle was destined for targets in the capital.

Separately, the U.N. warned that renewed fighting has left thousands of civilians cut off from food and other basic needs in eastern Sri Lanka.

Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe, the military`s spokesman, told reporters that a rebel base in eastern Ampara district fell on Monday to the Special Task Force personnel, who also recovered a large quantity of arms and ammunition.

Rebels were planning to use the truck and the explosives to carry out suicide attacks in the capital of Colombo, the Defense Ministry said on its Web site late Monday.

Special Task Force chief Nimal Lewke said four personnel were wounded during the operation, and that a search was on for rebel fighters who escaped.

Eastern Sri Lanka has become a hotbed of violence between the military and the Tamil Tigers, who have been fighting for over 20 years for a separate homeland for Sri Lanka`s 3.1 million minority ethnic Tamils after decades of discrimination by the majority Sinhalese.

Both sides claim to be adhering to a 2002 cease-fire, but violence has escalated since late 2005, with over 3,600 people killed last year.

Lewke said guerrillas had used the Ampara base to launch attacks on government forces and as a training camp for new recruits. He said it also had a hospital.

Rebel spokesman Rasiah Ilanthirayan confirmed a battle in the area but denied that the base had fallen.

`They (the Special Task Force) have been trying to infiltrate our area and there was also a confrontation. But I deny that the camp has been captured,` he said by telephone from the rebel stronghold of Kilinochchi.

The United Nations, meanwhile, said 15,000 Tamil civilians have been trapped by fighting in rebel-held Vaharai, in the eastern Batticaloa area.

`These persons are the most vulnerable of the vulnerable. We must always recall that it is the most weak who remain behind ? the elderly, the sick and the disabled,` a U.N. statement quoted Amin Awad, Acting Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, as saying.

The government says about 20,000 civilians have moved into government-held areas to escape violence.

Awad said no food, medicine or other humanitarian supplies had been allowed into Vaharai since Nov. 29.

(ww.iht.com)

Special Task Force - "Victory Is Definite"




Katukurunda, SRI LANKA: A Sri Lanka Police Special Task Force (STF) soldier affixes a badge with the logo "Victory Is Definite" to his tunic prior to a passing out parade in Katukurunda, some 43kms south of Colombo, 28 December 2006. Some 313 recruits concluded their STF training at the training centre in Kalutara. The nucleus of the STF the para-military arm of the country's police force was formed in 1983, drawing on policemen already in service and having them trained by the Army in the handling of infantry weapons and given basic training in "jungle operations", and who are deployed essentially for counter terrorist and counter insurgency operations within the country and also undertake close protection duties. AFP PHOTO/Sanka VIDANAGAMA

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Sri Lanka landmine blast kills 2 officials -rebels

COLOMBO, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Two Sri Lankan government officials were killed and three were wounded on Friday when a claymore mine exploded in a rebel-controlled northern region, the Tamil Tigers said.

Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) military spokesman R. Ilannthirayan said a Sri Lankan army team that had crossed into Nedunkeni area, apparently to target rebels, hit government officials by mistake.

"It was a deep penetration team, they launched a claymore attack against a vehicle belonging to the department of agriculture and killing two officials travelling inside and wounding a further three," he said.

There was no immediate comment from the military.

(http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/SP134502.htm)

Govt. probes NGO support to LTTE by Norman Palihawadane

Government defence authorities have found that an NGO has built 450 houses for the LTTE adjacent to the LTTE’s Stanley Base in

Kanchikudichchi Aru, which was captured by the Police commandos on Monday.

Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse told The Island yesterday that the Government had commenced a probe into the NGO’s contribution to the strengthening of the LTTE in the East.

Some of the vehicles abandoned by the fleeing LTTE cadres, too, had been given by foreign NGOs, he said.

The NGOs had helped rebuild the LTTE under the pretext of tsunami reconstruction and rehabilitation projects, Mr. Rajapakse said adding that that situation called for a special investigation.

He said, according to information that the military was now receiving, some foreign organisation had kept on replenishing medical supplies to the LTTE.

Following the fall of the Stanley Base, a large number of civilians, used by the LTTE as their human shields, had started to pour into the cleared areas from the areas currently under the LTTE control, he said.

(http://www.island.lk/2007/01/11/news17.html)

INGO under Government scrutiny by Aamna Mahboob

The activities of an international NGO is under government scrutiny following revelations a hospital in rebel controlled Ampara, which came under the control of the STF on Monday, was being funded by the charity group.

According to sources the defence ministry was to hand over a report to the foreign ministry pertaining to their findings regarding possible links between the Netherlands based Zoa Refugee Care (ZOA), and the LTTE which will be scrutinised before the next course of action is taken.

The Daily Mirror learns logos of the NGO were found on several items of equipment in the rebel hospital at the ‘Stanley Camp’ in Kanchkidichcharu Ampara, a key rebel camp in the area which was overrun by the STF in an operation on Monday.

“This maybe a plant and we are still not sure if there are any links. All we know is that the logo was found on several items in the camp,” a Defence Ministry source said.

However ZOA officials in Colombo said they were surprised at the allegations and were attempting to obtain more information over the alleged findings.

“This is not true. We have nothing to do with the LTTE. We are awaiting further details on this issue,” ZOA country director Bernard Jafperf Faijer told the Daily Mirror.

ZOA is active in Ampara in the east with its local head office based in Colombo and according to Mr. Faijer the aid group operates an office 7 km away from Kanchikudichcharu, the location where the alleged ZOA branded items were found.

‘Stanley camp’ in Kanchikudichcharu was the main centre used by the LTTE to continuously carry out attacks on the security forces positioned in the area. In addition this was also the main centre to train the forcibly recruited children by the LTTE and had also housed a large number of child soldiers.

(wwwdailymirror.lk/2007/01/10)

LTTE desertions increase as forces step up pressure in East by Shamindra Ferdinando

The ongoing military campaign in the East, centered on LTTE-held areas in the Batticaloa district, has given the military a clear edge over the enemy.

The two-and-half month long campaign involves Special Forces, Commandos and the infantry. The ground action is backed by the air force. "We have inflicted sizeable losses on the enemy. They are on the run," a senior military official said on Sunday.

Referring to bomb attacks on two private buses over the weekend, he said that this could be a sign of desperation. "They are trying to offset battlefield losses by triggering chaos in the South."

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, he detailed a series of successful operations in the Batticaloa theatre, where the army overcame initial setbacks to gradually increase pressure, thereby facilitating forays into the Vanni cadres’ heartland. "What we are doing is unconventional. In fact, we haven’t tried this sort of a thing on this scale before. The bottom line is that we are hitting them at their doorstep"

Quoting from intelligence reports and enemy broadcasts, the official said that over 500 LTTE cadres perished in action. He placed the number of senior cadres killed at seven with the last being a former commander of Charles Anthony ‘Brigade’ considered an elite fighting formation. The former commander is believed to have succumbed to his injuries suffered in a recent artillery attack. The seven leaders are believed to have held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

The military said that a large number of middle level leaders too had been killed in confrontations. The army had lost 35 personnel.

Chief of Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Donald Perera and Army Chief Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka recently visited the 23 Brigade Headquarters at Welikanda for a first hand briefing.

The Vanni leadership’s failure to replenish units fighting in the East has triggered desertions. Since the launch of the ongoing campaign about two and half months ago, over 80 cadres had surrendered. "They painted a picture of despair in areas under their control," the official said. Almost all of them had not received a decent meal for some time, he said. "We provided them with a good meal with plenty of vegetables," he said. "They are a beaten lot." The military expects more desertions as supplies plummet due to military action.

The army has committed sizeable resources for the offensive. The military said that the collapse of the enemy’s eastern bases would have a devastating impact on the units based in the Vanni.

(http://www.island.lk/2007/01/08/news1.html)

STF captures ‘impregnable’ Stanley Base, Tigers flee

STF finds NGO-run LTTE hospital

Tigers remove child solders

Explosives laden vehicles recovered

Vehicle bombs meant for Colombo?

The LTTE yesterday vacated a major base, situated in the Thoppigala jungles, to avoid advancing police commandos.

Police units reached the Kanchikudichchi Aru base, also known as the Stanley Base, around two pm.

The military sources said that defenders did not resist the advance and withdrew leaving behind a stock of arms, ammunition and dry rations.

Commandos recovered three motor cycles and a truck laden with explosives.

Police had found evidence that a number of child soldiers had been undergoing training there and had been removed by the fleeing Tigers.

Police believed that the explosive laden truck was to be used to carry out a suicide attacks presumably in Colombo. According to the police the three motor cycles too had been fitted with explosive devices.

Police believed that a Foreign NGO ZOA had funded a hospital run by the LTTE in the Thoppigala jungle. The hospital, one intelligence camp, two sub camps, and the main base had accommodated about 200 LTTE cadres.

Police also recovered a stock of anti personnel mines and two water bowsers belonging to the TRO. Police also recovered two generators. Commandos are in the process of clearing the LTTE facility.

The ongoing operation is part of the overall strategy to weaken the LTTE in the Eastern Province.

Police also came upon a holiday retreat inside the camp. The LTTE hierarchy is believed to have made use of it to take a break and plan out future campaigns.

An LTTE commander is also believed to have perished along with some of his cadres in a skirmish with the advancing Commandos.

(http://www.island.lk/2007/01/09/news11.html)

Tuesday, January 09, 2007

LTTE's "Stanley Base'' falls to the elite STF Commandos - Map

LTTE's "Stanley Base'' falls to the elite cops- Ampara

The Police Special Task Force (STF) personnel captured a huge terrorist camp named "Stanley Base" located in Kangikadaichi Aru in Ampara this afternoon (Monday the 8th of September).

The STF sources said the terrorists having failed to withstand the STF's retaliatory thrust, deserted the camp leaving most of their belongings. The marching STF personnel entered into the " Stanley" base's parameters around 2.p.m and presently consolidating their defences in the area.

During the search carried out in the Terror camp, the STF personnel recovered a Canter truck loaded with ammunition, a water bawser donated by the Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO), 4 motor cycles, a 50kv and a 25kv Generators, and few satellite antennas.

A fully equipped hospital believed to be funded by a reputed INGO was also discovered by the STF personnel in the captured terror base located deep inside the thick jungle of Kangikadaichi Aru. The STF sources said they were amused by the facilities provided by the particular INGO to a hospital where no civilian would expected to have received medical treatments.

A large haul of arms and ammunition, a repeater rifle, a rifle and a large number of anti-personnel mines were also among the recovered items.

The STF sources further revealed that they had no option than to retaliate to the LTTE's ever increasing attacks that has recently come to an alarming level. The captured camp was of a strategic importance to the LTTE terrorists where they used to fire mortar and artillery to the security forces camps in the Akkaraipaththuwa, Thirukkovil and Poththuvil areas.

Further, the camp has been used to hoard abducted children from various areas in the Eastern province and to train them to be suicide bombers.

Two sub camps, an Intelligence cell, a large warehouse filled with dry rations that had been robbed from aid convoys, a circuit bungalow were also found in the area.

The STF troops are still continuing their search further into the jungle to ensure that the people in the Southern part of the Eastern Province will be free from LTTE threats for good.

Three STF soldiers suffered injuries during the confrontation and were rushed to the General hospital Ampara.

Security forces capture explosive-laden truck meant for targets in capital, military says

Sri Lanka's elite anti-terrorist commandoes seized a truck packed with explosives when they overran a key Tamil rebel base in the country's east. The military said the vehicle was destined for targets in the capital.

Separately, the U.N. warned that renewed fighting has left thousands of civilians cut off from food and other basic needs in eastern Sri Lanka. The Defense Ministry said Tuesday 52 Tamils from 15 families crossed over to government-held areas overnight in the region.

Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe, the military's spokesman, told reporters that a rebel base in eastern Ampara district fell on Monday to the Special Task Force personnel, who also recovered a large quantity of arms and ammunition.

Rebels were planning to use the truck and the explosives to carry out suicide attacks in the capital of Colombo, the Defense Ministry said on its Web site late Monday.

Special Task Force chief Nimal Lewke said four personnel were wounded during the operation, and that a search was on for rebel fighters who escaped.

Eastern Sri Lanka has become a hotbed of violence between the military and the Tamil Tigers, who have been fighting for over 20 years for a separate homeland for Sri Lanka's 3.1 million minority ethnic Tamils after decades of discrimination by the majority Sinhalese.

Both sides claim to be adhering to a 2002 cease-fire, but violence has escalated since late 2005, with over 3,600 people killed last year.

Lewke said guerrillas had used the Ampara base to launch attacks on government forces and as a training camp for new recruits. He said it also had a hospital.

Rebel spokesman Rasiah Ilanthirayan confirmed a battle in the area but denied that the base had fallen.

"They (the Special Task Force) have been trying to infiltrate our area and there was also a confrontation. But I deny that the camp has been captured," he said by telephone from the rebel stronghold of Kilinochchi.

The United Nations, meanwhile, said 15,000 Tamil civilians have been trapped by fighting in rebel-held Vaharai, in the eastern Batticaloa area.

"These persons are the most vulnerable of the vulnerable. We must always recall that it is the most weak who remain behind _ the elderly, the sick and the disabled," a U.N. statement quoted Amin Awad, Acting Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, as saying.

The government says about 20,000 civilians have moved into government-held areas to escape violence.

Awad said no food, medicine or other humanitarian supplies had been allowed into Vaharai since Nov. 29.

(http://www.chinapost.com.tw/p_latestdetail.asp?id=43561)

Sri Lanka rebels suffer fresh setback, lose control of a major camp in Amparai by Munza Mushtaq

The LTTE has suffered yet another major setback, after losing control of a major (LTTE) camp in the Eastern province on Monday afternoon, the media centre for national security told the Asian Tribune.

The camp named 'Stanley' situated in Amparai's Kanjikudichcharu was often used by the Tamil Tiger rebels to attack security forces. The camp was also reportedly a training base for the rebel's under age recruits who underwent arms training there.

"The camp came under security forces control by 2.00 Monday afternoon. The entire operation was carried out by the police Special Task Force unit," a centre spokesman said.

The rebels who were present at the camp at the time of the operation reportedly fled the camp leaving behind all their belongings as they were unable to defend themselves successfully.

On a subsequent search operation, the special task force had recovered a large cache of explosives, arms/ammunition and anti-personnel mines.

"In addition to the Stanley camp, the STF personnel have found a fully equipped hospital funded by an INGO, a warehouse filled with dry rations meant for civilians, 2 sub-camps, an intelligence camp, a circuit bungalow and a cafeteria, abandoned by the fleeing tigers.

STF had also found a water bowser donated by the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), 3 motor cycles, Generators, satellite antennas and coffins," the centre said.

Three security personnel who sustained injured during the operation was rushed to the Ampara hospital.

(http://www.asiantribune.com/index.php?q=node/4062)

ELITE COMMANDO FORCES OF THE POLICE OVER RUNS A LARGE TAMIL TIGER BASE IN THE EASTERN PROVINCE OF SRI LANKA by Walter Jayawardhana

The elite commando forces of the Sri Lanka Police , the Special Task Force overran one of the largest Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) jungle bases in the besieged Eastern Province of Sri Lanka that has been also widely used as a combat training center for child soldiers. The large base named Stanley was successfully captured by the special Task force when cadres of the LTTE decided to abandon it after a pitched battle with the police Special Task Force (STF).

The STF said three of their men sustained injuries in the battle and were admitted to Ampara Hospital. Camp Stanley, named after a military leader of the LTTE is at Kanjikudichcharu in the Ampara District ( coordinates 7. 10-12N, 81.46-48 E)and the take over by the STF happened at 2 p.m. January 8 , the Ministry of Defense said. A spokesmand said, Stanley, the leader after whom the base is named was also among the people who fled. Independent reports show that the LTTE is severely hampered by a severe shortage of manpower in the area.

Eastern Province LTTE bases, according to Sri Lanka intelligence sources are being widely used, to send suicide bombers to pre destined targets specially in the Colombo and South and the STF announced they discovered a ‘Cantor” truck filled with explosives and a motor bike prepared for the same purpose. Such vehicles are being widely used for suicide missions.

STF said that they also found a water tanker truck donated by , the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), a front organization of the LTTE, who collect funds especially in the United States and Canada purportedly for civilians, but actually for the terrorist group. The TRO is now banned from operating in Sri Lanka and their funds frozen by the Central Bank.

The Defense Ministry said in a statement, “STF personnel have found a fully equipped hospital funded by an International Non Government Organization, a warehouse filled with dry rations meant for civilians, 2 sub-camps, an intelligence camp, a circuit bungalow and a cafeteria, abandoned by the fleeing tigers.”

They also listed the following as other things found at the camp, “ 3 motor cycles, a 50kv and a 25kv Generators, satellite antennas and coffins, a large haul of arms and ammunition that included repeater rifles, and a large number of anti-personnel mines.”.

The Ministry of Defense further said, “It is considered as a significant and a strategic step forward as the tiger terrorists were posing severe threat to the security forces and the civilians from this camp.”
The Ministry of Defense said, “The captured camp was of a strategic importance to the LTTE terrorists from where they used to fire mortar and artillery to the security forces camps in the Akkaraipaththuwa, Thirukkovil and Poththuvil areas.”

The Ministry of Defense added, “A fully equipped hospital believed to be funded by a reputed INGO was also discovered by the STF personnel in the captured terror base located deep inside the thick jungle of Kanjikudichcharu. The STF sources said they were amused by the facilities provided by the particular INGO to a hospital where no civilian would have expected to have medical treatment.”

The Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, Lt. General Sarath Fonseka has vowed to oust the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eeelam who are also known as Tamil Tigers from the Eastern Province. They are now restricted to few square miles in the jungles of Ampara District and at Vakarai from where thousands of civilians have already fled.

The LTTE is fighting for a mono-ethnic separate state in the country’s Eastern and Northern provinces.

(http://www.lankaweb.com/)

Paramilitaries: a Civilian’s Experience by Dilrook Kannangara

It was in 1988, September 12 to be precise; Colombo schools closed for 3 months till January 1989. Again in March 1989 schools were closed officially till September the same year. During these times, workplaces, banks, markets, sports and recreational activities, public ceremonies and many more were at a standstill. Things changed dramatically by July’89 and stayed same until October 1994.

I felt safe and secure and so was almost everyone I knew. Investors obviously felt the same as investments increased dramatically, skyscrapers were planned and after a few years later they all came up frantically. No economic nerve centres were attacked by terrorists in spite of intermittent aerial bombardment on LTTE controlled areas. Also military operations were taking place without any civilian and economic casualties. All this prosperity is squarely attributable to the acts of paramilitaries.

Although a considerable number of acts of paramilitaries and the government forces during this time were not in the interests of the nation, they were successful in sustaining investor confidence, public security and the national economy. If I remember right there was no bomb scare at all and not even slight damage to economically important places were inflicted. STF was manning many places in Colombo and elsewhere and was considered a paramilitary under the laws existed then. Troublesome elements were screened out by nobody-knows-who and were eliminated ahead in time. There was no need for curfews or post mortems.

Things changed after CBK assumed office in 1994. Instead of preserving the good of paramilitaries, the CBK administration uprooted them exposing the people, economic nerve centres and investors to the brutality of terrorists. In November 1995 when the Oil Refineries were set upon by the terrorists, residents attributed it to the transfer of the STF camp in the area. Many more attacks followed targeting civilians and the national economy.

Engaging the terrorists at the door step of the Central Bank, Kalanitissa power station, Sri Dalada Maligawa and in the inside of the premises of the BIA and oil refineries proved the sheer ineffectiveness of the security forces in restraining suicide bombers. Even the world superpowers are rendered helpless against suicide attacks. Another destructive outcome was the “blame game” that our politicians and some officials are very skillful in playing.

What should have been done in 1994 was to support the paramilitaries but to restraint them against political victimization. They should have been awarded immunity only where terrorists were targeted.

This grave mistake costed the country dearly and continues to haunt us with insecurity, etc. Economic mishaps include the poor tourist season of 2006/07.
Encouraged by all these, the terrorists continue to threaten to destroy our dams, hospitals, ports, etc. If it is to happen, the economic, human and strategic loss would be enormous. Also it will give enough ammunition for the NGOs, the “international community”, peace humbugs, etc. to force their solutions on us; as if we are a failed state.

I urge the government to bring back the days when we felt completely secure and safe, devoid of its evils (political victimization). There can be no political ideology that promotes terrorism, division of country and ethnic disintegration. It is a terrorist phenomenon and hence made to pay at the hands of the paramilitaries.

Make use of the strengths of the paramilitaries to maintain law and order. The masses will not be affected at all as they are all peace loving, law abiding citizens. However, there will be bad but necessary “side effects” that has to be taken into account and proper systems for justice resolution should be in place to minimize them.

I urge the government to consider a pragmatic approach to paramilitaries than a utopian ideological approach. The difficult part of terrorist war is that the enemy is not fighting face-to-face, but there are advantages as well. These include the ability to destroy the enemy by delicate operations. Infiltrators can be destroyed without any resistance and also be vital sources of information. Let us capitalize on the advantages of a terrorist campaign waged by cowards who seek protection among civilians and some terror aligning politicians.

There is no justification for the continued suffering of 20 million people just because of the fantasies of a megalomaniac supported by about 30 thousand terrorists. Also the human rights of the 20 million should be upheld even at the expense of possible human rights violation of few thousand suspects. This is the right perspective of the economic and security concerns we have today and we need tried and tested and practical remedies. Failure to do so will ensure that the enemy gets what it wants; killing of ethnic Sinhalese and Muslims; incite ethnic intolerance and prove its case for an armed struggle in the face of ethnic violence against Tamils

(http://www.lankaweb.com/)

STF overruns key Tiger camp

The Special Task Force yesterday registered a major victory when it overran the Ampara district Tiger main camp - Stanley Base in Kanjikudichcharu - after a fierce battle, the military said.

“STF personnel overran the Tigers main camp in Kanjikudichcharu yesterday afternoon forcing the surviving Tigers to retreat,” military spokesman Prasad Samarasinghe said.

He said the STF recovered a large haul of weapons, ammunition and other military items left behind by the fleeing Tigers.

The spokesman also said the police elite force personnel had found a hospital within the LTTE camp. “This camp had been built by a Non-Governmental Organization and we are investigating into the matter seriously,” Brigadier Samarasinghe claimed.It is considered as a significant and a strategic step forward as the Tiger terrorists were posing a major threat to the security forces from this camp. Continuous targeting of the security forces position in the area by the LTTE provoked the STF to clear the area and bring it under its control.

LTTE was also housing a large number of child soldiers conscripted by them in this camp, the spokesman charged.

(http://www.dailymirror.lk/2007/01/09/front/03.asp)

PTSD may emerge late in injured soldiers

Among battle-injured soldiers, the severity of their physical injuries is a significant predictor of the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression several months later, researchers report. Early psychiatric evaluations do not always identify those who will later develop these disorders.

In a study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, the researchers examined the rates, predictors and course of probable PTSD and depression among 613 seriously battle-injured U.S. soldiers during and after hospitalization.

Standard screening assessments were performed at 1, 4, and 7 months after the injury. Combat exposure, length of deployment, and severity of physical injuries were documented. All of the assessments were completed for 243 soldiers.

The study was conducted by a group of investigators from the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress at the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, Maryland, and the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Thomas A. Grieger and colleagues found that 4.2 percent of the soldiers had probable PTSD and 4.4 percent had depression at 1 month. After 4 months and 7 months, 12 percent of the soldiers were diagnosed with PTSD and 9 percent were diagnosed with depression.

The team reports that 79 percent of soldiers with a diagnosis of PTSD or depression at 7 months did not meet the diagnostic criteria for either condition at 1 month.

Severe physical injury at 1 month increased the risk of developing PTSD by more than ninefold and the risk of depression by almost sixfold after 7 months, independent of demographic factors, combat exposure and deployment duration.

“This study should help to guide physicians treating these troops,” Grieger commented to Reuters Health. “They need to consider psychiatric problems in soldiers reporting high levels of physical problems.”

“Soldiers with such problems acutely or chronically might benefit from a mental health evaluation and potential psychiatric treatments,” he said. “The course of illness and treatment in war-injured soldiers from these conflicts is complex and unlike that seen in civilian victims of physical trauma.”

Grieger and his colleagues are currently examining long-term functional problems and ongoing physical and mental health distress in this group. “We also hope to examine in greater detail the early predictors of later problems,” he added.

(http://www.dailymirror.lk/2006/10/27/life/3.asp)