Army , Air Force Chiefs dismiss allegations level against security forces by unpatriotic politicians

(By Walter Jayawardhana)

Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka, Sri Lanka’s Army Commander and Air Force Commander Air Vice Marshall Roshan Goonetilleke have totally rejected the statements made by United National Party leader Ranil Wickramasinghe that quick and complete attention have not been provided to soldiers who are injured at the war front to save their lives.

Fonseka said in a statement broadcast by the state owned Independent Television Network (ITN), ” The security forces have enough helicopters to transport all injured soldiers immediately from the battlefield to necessary hospitals and after immediate treatment, if necessary there are enough transport planes to transfer them to Colombo for further specialized medical attention.” In a sweeping statement he rejected the UNP leaders utterances as “untruth” and “distortions” meant to mislead.

This is the first time the country’s Opposition Leader had to be contradicted in a statement so strong as this by the country’s armed forces. Fonseka said, most of the soldiers hit in the battlefield are by the heavy artillery and mortars possessed by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) “that were allowed to be smuggled into the country by politicians during the days of the Ceasefire Agreement and the very leaders who allowed those weapons into the country should be directly responsible for the injuries caused to the soldiers,” in an obvious atttack on Wickremasinghe. Many shiploads of weapons were allowed to be taken into the country during the time of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe while the country’s Navy was asked to show a Nelsonian eye to the activities of the LTTE as a measure to save the Ceasfire Agreement, years ago.

Both Lieutenant General Fonseka , the Army Commander and Air Force Commander Air Vice Marshall Roshan Goonetilleke in televised statements said the Opposition Leader’s statement as “complete distortion of the truth” and ” a lie” probably concocted to sabotage the recruitment to the security forces all over the nation “by misleading the masses.”

Fonseka and Goonetilleke said, injured soldiers are directly transported to Palali, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa ,Mannar , Ampara hospitals etc directly from the battlefields by helicopters and from those places to Colombo if further treatment is wanted. Fonseka said there are enough transport planes coming to Colombo to transfer such soldiers.

Ranil Wickremasinghe’s closest political ally Mangala Samaraweera had earlier said the present commander of the armed forces does not know warfare and that’s why so many have died. Samaraweera was quoted having said that ” lives of soldiers are being sacrificed because the defence secretary and army commander do not have an understanding or strategy to conduct the war.” In an obvious reference to Samaraweera , the Army Commander said, it is ridiculous that people who oppose warring with the Tamil Tigers are now trying to instruct them about war strategy.

He said the strategy of the government is definitely based on years of past experience and the successful results are now showing by our valiant soldiers and their officers by using it. They are now poised to strike Kilinochchi and Mulativu. He said, ” if we took time off for the monsoon and floods we would have given an advantage over us to the LTTE. But our brave soldiers fought regardless and today we are at an advantage over them.” The Army Commander said our forces have successfully run over Iranamadu cross roads and Paranthan leading to their military targets.

Courtesy: Ministry of Defence

LTTE no longer have qualitative edge in the battlefield- strategy page

(By Walter Jayawardhana)

The US based military strategy website, Strategy Page said, The LTTE attacks against the offensive campaign by the Sri Lankan security forces in their Northern stronghold so far failed , unlike during the last five to ten years, because the LTTE troops do not have a qualitative edge in the battlefield any longer.

In an analytical piece the website in a December 30 issue said, attempts to push back the army with the LTTE’s best soldiers left failed as “the soldiers stood their ground and stopped the LTTE attackers. That didn’t happen 5-10 years ago, and is one reason why the LTTE are on their last legs. The rebels no longer have a qualitative edge on the battlefield.” The website also added, “There are only a few bits of coastline where the LTTE can land stuff, so it’s easier for the navy to catch the smuggling attempts.”

The website said, LTTE defenses consist of recently recruited fighters holding out in recently built bunkers. The morale of the LTTE fighters is rapidly declining, as is their battlefield effectiveness, the website warned. The following is the full text of the comment:

“The navy blockade continues unbroken, despite desperate LTTE attempts to ship weapons and munitions in. There are only a few bits of coastline where the LTTE can land stuff, so it’s easier for the navy to catch the smuggling attempts.

“The fighting around the LTTE capital of Kilinochchi is apparently attracting the best fighters the LTTE has left. That’s because some army units have been hit with well prepared and led counterattacks. These were attempts to push the army back, but these offensive operations failed. Sometimes there were heavy army casualties, but the soldiers stood their ground and stopped the LTTE attackers. That didn’t happen 5-10 years ago, and is one reason why the LTTE are on their last legs. The rebels no longer have a qualitative edge on the battlefield. “Advancing troops have captured an LTTE airstrip, hidden under nets and foliage. The army is advancing up the east coast, past the town of Mullaitivu, and down the east coast along the Jaffna peninsula. The LTTE defenses consist of recently recruited fighters holding out in recently built bunkers. The morale of the LTTE fighters is rapidly declining, as is their battlefield effectiveness.

“The government is also getting more information on the day-to-day whereabouts of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabakaran. The air force is bombing these locations, hoping to kill or wound Prabakaran (whose death would be a major blow to the LTTE). In any event, the army believes they will have Prabakaran, dead or alive, with six weeks. While there’s always a chance that Prabakaran will flee the island and attempt to keep up a terror campaign from exile, that is considered unlikely. Sri Lankan diplomatic efforts have gotten the LTTE declared an international terrorist organization, and it’s unlikely any nation would allow Prabakaran to operate within their borders.”

Courtesy: Ministry of Defence

LTTE- Lashkar links revealed

An Indian weekly ‘The Organizer’ has revealed possible links between Lashkar e Taliba (LeT) terrorist group and the LTTE.

“There are now FBI confirmations of visits by LTTE top brass to Kabul. The LTTE, which is fighting a losing battle with the Sri Lankan Army, is looking to the ISI-Al-Queda-LeT for weapons,” The Organizer website claimed.

According to the website the Kerala-Tamil Nadu coast and Sri Lankan route is used by the Drug-Mafia for shifting drug raw material from largest producer Afghanistan to the processing factories in Central Asia. The LTTE and its leader Prabhakaran have been surviving for the past 25 years on drug money. They get arms in exchange of transfer and safe passage of drug laden ships and boats.

There is an active smuggling link in the Kerala-TN Coast and Sri Lankan waters. Out of the two lakh odd fishing boats which venture into sea daily, more than 60 per cent cross the Indian waters and supply food, medicines, diesel, kerosene, batteries, etc. to the LTTE. The LTTE is now surviving on supplies from Kerala-Tamil Nadu coast.

The website also said that there are intelligence reports that the Kerala-Tamil Nadu coastal route with Sri Lanka may be used by ISI-LeT to launch attacks in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Courtesy : Presidential media unit

Army TF 1 less than 2 km from away Pranthan

Army Task Force 1 troops have beaten off the terrorists from Thadduwankoddy and Komarikudakulam areas lying 2 km West of the Paranthan junction this afternoon (Dec 30), battlefield sources said. According to the sources, troops have inflicted heavy damages to the terrorist and seized some of their weapons during the clashes prevailed in the area. With the progress made by the soldiers toady the liberation of strategically important Paranthan town is imminent, the sources added.

Meanwhile, troops of 57 Division has been able to extend their forward boundaries further towards the Kilinochchi town. Some of the fighting elements have already edged into the Kilinochchi built up, the sources in the filed said.

Courtesy: Ministry of Defence

Troops of 57 Div step-up to Kilinochchi; LTTE vehicle ambushed

Troops of 57 Division advanced further towards remaining LTTE strongholds in Kilinochchi front had several confrontations with detected group of LTTE terrorists yesterday, 28 December.

Troops advanced under stiff resistance of terrorists captured LTTE fortification in general area south Adampan. Meanwhile, an LTTE vehicle was completely destroyed when the troops ambushed in the same area.

A T-56 weapon was also uncovered from Adampan area while conducting consolidating operations.

Army troops also sustained minor damages in confrontations

Courtesy: Ministry of Defence