Two SLAF aircrafts damaged due to LTTE attack on Vavuniya Base

Two SLAF aircrafts damaged due to LTTE attack on Vavuniya Base

Two SLAF aircrafts and radars given by India have been reportedly damaged due to the LTTE air, ground (Black Tiger) and artillery attacks carried out yesterday.

It is also learned that two Indian operators were also injured due to the attack and were taken to Colombo for treatment.

Unconfirmed reports say that the Tigers had fired artillery from three fronts at 2.30 a.m. yesterday.

Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan forces said that they had shot down an LTTE aircraft above thick jungle areas in Mulaithivu. However, this attack has not been recorded in any of the radars and the LTTE has also not issued any information on the issue so far. — Pathivu.com


Tiger attack devastates Wanni SF HQ

Tuesday, 9 September 2008, 07.25 GMT)

The joint attack carried out by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Air Tigers, artillery batteries and Black Tiger commandos, has devastated the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) and Sri Lanka Army (SLA) installations inside the Wanni Sri Lankan forces Headquarters, according to an informed military source in Vavuniya. According to officials figures, 11 Sri Lankan military and police personnel were killed and 33 wounded, including two Indian radar operators. Six civilians were also admitted at Vavuniya Hospital with injuries.

The Air Tigers launched the attack first, targeting the Sri Lankan airbase. After the Tiger bombers returned, their artillery bombs targeted the military facility, prompting the military personnel to seek bunkers.

Then the Black Tiger commandos entered the base, making use of the time, and engaged in ‘calculated destruction’ to the facilities inside the Wanni SF HQ, according to the Vavuniya source.

15 SLA personnel, nine police and seven air force personnel with injuries were handed over to civil hospitals and nine of them were admitted to Vavuniya hospital. Two Indian radar operators were earlier airlifted to Colombo.

The LTTE is yet to release details of the military operation.


Wanni SF HQ attacked

Tuesday, 9 September 2008, 00.53 GMT)

The joint headquarters of the Sri Lankan forces in Wanni, situated in Vavuniya Town, came under attack for more than 2 hours by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the early hours of Tuesday. According to the casualty figures released by the Sri Lankan military sources, nine Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers, two Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) personnel and one policeman were killed and 26 wounded. At least 10 LTTE Black Tiger commandos had infiltrated into the Wanni Headquarters of the SL forces, causing destruction to the military facilities. LTTE’s aircrafts bombed the SF HQ of Wanni around 2.30 a.m., before the Black Tigers launched the attack. Vavuniya Town is at standstill.

There were at least 11 explosions that rocked the town and heavy exchange of gunfire was reported till 5.00 a.m.

The Sri Lankan military officials in Colombo claimed that their forces counter-attacked the Tiger aircrafts, but there was no indication of any aircraft coming down, according to civilian sources.

The explosions were also caused by Tiger artillery that targeted the Sri Lankan headquarters, after the Tiger air mission, the sources further added.

One civilian, a girl, was wounded and rushed to hospital, medical sources in the town said.

In the meantime, Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) bombers and surveillance aircrafts, stepped up flying missions over Kilinochchi and Mulaithivu Districts from 4.00 a.m., and attacked two localities.

The first air attack by the SLAF was reported in Puthukkudiyiruppu, three times, between 4.20 and 5.10 a.m. The attack has taken place in densely populated area and the premises of a school, Puthukkudiyiruppu Subramaniya Viththiyaalayam, was among the targets, according to initial reports from Puthukkudiyiruppu. A 50-year-old woman, identified as Sulojana, was wounded. Shops in the town have also sustained damage in the SLAF attack.

At 6.40 a.m., a locality in Poonakari (Pooneryn) was bombed by the SLAF bombers. Casualty details were not available.


LTTE carries out ground and air attacks on Wanni HQ

LTTE air and ground attack on Military base in Vavuniya: 11 security personnel killed and 15 injured.

The LTTE had carried out ground and air attacks on Wanni Headquarters and air base in Vavuniya yesterday morning.

The LTTE had penetrated into the headquarters and carried out the attack. The LTTE air wing also carried out air bombings and artillery attacks in support of the ground operations.

It was reported that two Tiger aircrafts were involved in the attack and heavy artillery firing followed the attacks from Wanni on the Vavuniya Headquarters.

It was also reported that the headquarters would have suffered heavy damage, but no further reports could be obtained.

It was last reported that 10 security force personnel were killed in the attack, which included one police constable and another 29 persons were injured. Seven of the injured were reported to be air force personnel and nine were policemen.

It was reported that the LTTE air attack was carried out targeting a building complex with 2D radars given by India. The Indra radars were reportedly damaged and the two Indian operators were also injured due to the attack.

Reports from Colombo said that the injured operators were rushed to Colombo for treatment and added that the Indian High Commission was ensuring that all the facilities were given to them.

SLAF Commander Roshan Gunatilake had told an international media that they had captured 10 bodies of the LTTE.

Sources close to the security forces in Colombo stated that the radars detected the two Tiger aircrafts at around 3.30 yesterday morning.

The air force turned to high alert to counter attack.

SLAF aircrafts were immediately sent from Katunayake to Vavuniya to intercept and attack the aircrafts.

Meanwhile, the Tiger aircrafts, which had entered Vavuniya carried out attacks on the Wanni Headquarters.

It was reported that four bombs were dropped on the base by both planes.

At the same time, the Tigers had carried out artillery attacks on the base from Wanni.

Reports from the area said that hundreds of shells fell into the headquarters and exploded.

The attacks shook Vavuniya for more than half an hour yesterday morning.

As the aircrafts carried out the attacks, anti air missiles and guns were fired at the sky from the base, illuminating the sky, according to civilians in Vavuniya.

Civilians in the area said that they were very much scared early morning due to the sound of explosions and gunshots heard during the attack. Reports from Vavuniya also said that there was an unofficial curfew prevailing in the area and that the security forces had asked the civilians not to leave their houses.

Meanwhile, Air Force spokesperson Janaka Nanayakkara had said that they had chased and shot down one of the Tiger aircrafts, which had carried out the attacks.

He said that the SLAF aircrafts had followed the Tiger aircrafts and shot one of them, when they were flying above Mulaithivu.

Sri Lankan sources in Colombo quoting Indian state officials said that Indian radar systems had not picked up any evidence to suggest that one of the Tiger aircraft was shot down.

However, no statements have been issued by the LTTE so far on this.

— Puthinam.com

Security forces crush major terror attack

Security forces crush major terror attack at Vavuniya; 10 LTTE bodies found

Latest military reports received from Vavuniya reveal that a major attack launched by LTTE terrorists at the Security Forces Headquarters Wanni and Air Force Base Vavuniya early this morning (September 9) was completely foiled.

According to the reports, the terrorists launched a pre-dawn ground assault coordinated with artillery fire and an air raid with the intention of causing severe damage to the air force assets in the Vavuniya Air Base.

Defence sources in Vavuniya state, the terrorists launched artillery fire on the army camp in order to prevent counter attack and directed their ground assault at the airbase. However, valiant soldiers moved forward amid heavy enemy artillery fire and crushed the terror ground assault completely. According to the available information, 10 bodies of slain LTTE cadres have been found so far.

According to air force sources, an LTTE aircraft was detected in the early warning radar monitors at around 3.26 am, while another was spotted five minutes later. SLAF jets took on the hunt intercepting the enemy craft and reportedly shot down one, in the Mulaithivu skies around 4 am.

10 soldiers laid down their lives and 15 others suffered injuries. One police constable was killed and 8 others sustained injuries due to the enemy artillery fire. Five air force personnel also suffered injuries. A civilian was also reported killed due to the indiscriminate LTTE artillery shelling.

— defence.lk

Two SLAF aircrafts damaged due to LTTE attack on Vavuniya Base

Two SLAF aircrafts and radars given by India have been reportedly damaged due to the LTTE air, ground (Black Tiger) and artillery attacks carried out yesterday.

It is also learned that two Indian operators were also injured due to the attack and were taken to Colombo for treatment.

Unconfirmed reports say that the Tigers had fired artillery from three fronts at 2.30 a.m. yesterday.

Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan forces said that they had shot down an LTTE aircraft above thick jungle areas in Mulaithivu. However, this attack has not been recorded in any of the radars and the LTTE has also not issued any information on the issue so far. — Pathivu.com

EDITORIAL FOR WEDNESDAY : MORNING LEADER:

Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea

The mood is distinctly gung-ho in government circles and the pro government media. Camp after camp, bunker after bunker of the LTTE is falling. The troops are on the move. And the government is wining election after election. All hail President Mahinda Rajapakse and his Mahinda Chinthanaya!

The LTTE is retreating. Its head is bloodied but unbowed. This is war at its gruesome best notwithstanding devastating counter strikes by the LTTE as witnessed yesterday in Vavuniya. Such attacks in the books of the government and its propaganda organs are signs of LTTE’s desperation and in that belief the public rest easy.

Meanwhile an estimated 180,000 to 300,000 people in the Wanni have fled their homes with their meagre belongings or none at all. They are euphemistically described by the international acronym IDPs — Internally Displaced Persons. They have nowhere to go. They live under trees, makeshift buildings and school buildings without basic living requirements. Numbers do not matter. As the well known writer Arthur Koestler observed: Statistics do not bleed. Nor do UN coined acronyms indicate the suffering of the people concerned.

The people of the Wanni never lived affluent lives in their jungle abodes. Theirs is a subsistence living – living off the land. But at least they had a roof over their heads. Now the North East Monsoon is expected to cascade on them making life a living hell, particularly for the children. The Rajapakse government is concerned. The LTTE is concerned so much that they do not want to let the people seek refuge in safer areas. The international community is concerned. They are writing shocking reports which do not have any effect at all. And the thousands of people remain in this hapless state. They are supposed to be Sri Lankans but people in the south are far removed from the ground realities in the Wanni and for all purposes those poor, hapless civilians are considered children of a lesser God.

With this so called war nearing its climax the only hope for these unfortunate people is to find routes out of the war zone. But that seems impossible. In guerrilla warfare civilians become a human shield and are the best defence for the guerrillas. Government forces want the civilians moved out not only because of altruism but obviously to remove the effective shield of the antagonists. The government has suggested routes out of the Wanni jungles such as the A-9 and the Mannar-Pooneryn Road.

The Ministry of Defence has recently proposed a ‘humanitarian corridor’ for the movement to safety and for humanitarian access and provision of essential items and services. This proposal the government says has been welcomed by the Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies as well as the UN. The government has also claimed that it is supporting the development of a ‘humanitarian hub’ in Vavuniya, south of the ‘uncleared areas where humanitarian actors will be facilitated to store and distribute supplies.’

Whether these proposals will come to fruition is much in doubt because the LTTE will not be willing to let go their human shield and the government is not willing to lose the momentum it has gained in its military offensive during the past year. While the LTTE now almost isolated from its allies abroad will not be prepared to give into humanitarian considerations, the government has been under pressure from the so called international community which wants the military offensive to be called off. This is an issue which cannot be easily shrugged off. No doubt LTTE supporters in Tamil Nadu will soon begin a vigorous beating of war drums which the government of Sonia Gandhi – months away from a general election – can’t afford to ignore.

One factor which could have helped ease the situation are the NGOs but they seem to have become more of an obstacle rather that a positive factor. The government last week announced that no expatriate or employee of an NGO working in the Wanni will be permitted to travel beyond the Omanthai check point and asked them to withdraw assets (vehicles, machinery and equipment) and all employees not resident in the Wanni. Meanwhile the LTTE has indicated to UN and INGO/NGO representatives that no passes will be issued to dependents of UN and NGO staff members to leave the Wanni.

Reports said that the LTTE had asked the people of the Wanni to get ready for ‘the final battle’ and called for reserves to bolster the cadre strength. UN reports said that clashes between government forces and the LTTE are likely to intensify in the coming weeks and there was limited likelihood of mass movement of civilians out of the Wanni.

The INGOs and NGOs seem to have been short circuited by some of their wheeler-dealers and power brokers who have been telling different things to government leaders and their donors abroad with the objective of getting more funding for themselves.

This ‘final battle’ as the LTTE calls it will be like those ‘wars which were fought to end all wars.’ For, even if the government defeats the LTTE, they are likely to melt into the population and begin a guerrilla war like they did in the 1980s. A political settlement has to be arrived at if this ‘final battle’ is to be the final. Meanwhile the immediate problem is to rescue those thousands of IDPs stranded in the Wanni jungles. They are well and truly between the devil and the deep blue sea.