16.12.2007
Velupillai
Prabakharan, the elusive Chief of the Liberation Tigers
of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), sustained minor injuries in aerial
bombardment by the Sri Lankan Air Force in the last week
of November.
Although the injuries are not of a serious nature, the LTTE
Supremo is being treated at an underground medical facility
in a secret location by the Thileepan Medical Unit, it is
learnt.
The LTTE is keeping the entire incident under wraps because
of the demoralising effect it may have on cadres and supporters
of the movement. In addition, the Sri Lankan security forces
may receive a morale booster by knowledge of the incident.
Currently the Sri Lankan authorities seem blissfully unaware
of the fact that one of the bombs dropped by the Sri Lankan
Air Force has inflicted slight injuries on their most prized
enemy target.
According to informed Tamil sources, the incident took place
around noon on Wednesday, November 28.
The
attack
Three Sri Lankan Air Force planes believed to be Israeli
built K-fir jet bombers had commenced aerial bombardment
on suburban areas of Kilinochchi town. At least 12 bombs,
believed to be of the MARK-80 variety, were dropped in
the vicinity of Jeyanthy Nagar in Kilinochchi.
Jeyanthy Nagar, consisting of six separate housing schemes,
is situated along the road to Uruthirapuram and is in
close proximity of Karadipokku Junction along the A9 Highway.
The
air attack began around 12:25 p.m. and went on for about
20 minutes, during which the aircraft discharged their
lethal cargo. The bombs had fallen on some houses in Jeyanthy
Nagar and in outlying areas, including groves with lush
vegetation. The bombs had also damaged the Uruthirapuram
Road extensively.
At
least one of the bombs had hit the underground bunker
in which the LTTE Leader was staying on November 28. A
section of the bunker had apparently crumbled and some
falling debris had struck the LTTE Leader by accident.
He received minor injuries.
It is not clear as to where Prabakharan sustained injuries
but unconfirmed reports said it was on the back, shoulder
and arm. He was promptly taken to an undisclosed location
and treated. He was then moved to an underground LTTE
clinic run by the Thileepan Medical Unit at a secret location.
The
medical unit is named after Rasiah Parthiban alias Thileepan,
former LTTE Political Wing Head of the Jaffna District.
Thileepan went on a fast unto death campaign, protesting
acts of omission and commission by the Indian Army. He
died after 12 days on September 26, 1987.
Unconfirmed reports also stated that a couple of medical
doctors from a government hospital in the Wanni had also
examined Prabakharan and pronounced the injuries to be
minor.
Unofficial
blackout
The LTTE however is not taking any chances as the Tiger
Supremo is reportedly suffering from other ailments, including
hypertension and diabetes.
Though the LTTE is not publicising the incident, some
senior Tiger leaders have been allowed to visit the numero
uno. A few well-wishers, including members of the Catholic
clergy, have also been allowed to see the LTTE Chief and
pray for him.
News of the incident, which took place on November 28,
began circulating over the Tamil grapevine a few days
ago. Many LTTE activists abroad, who became aware of the
incident, were alarmed and agitated.
Anxiety however began subsiding after it was learnt that
only slight injuries were caused. Overseas LTTE branch
stalwarts also seemed confused as only scanty details
were available. However, an unofficial blackout of the
news is being observed.
The LTTE Leader is extremely conscious of his security
and does not sleep at the same place on consecutive nights.
He has a number of safe houses and bunkers in different
places in the Wanni. Prabakharan moves constantly from
place to place and does not stay for long at any particular
place.
The LTTE Leader also varies his movement for the sake
of security. Though very orderly and methodical by nature,
the LTTE does not stick to a regular timetable to prevent
anyone predicting his movements.
Even senior leaders of the LTTE do not have easy access
to him and can meet him only after going through elaborate
security procedures. Only the LTTE’s Intelligence
Division (known as TOSIS – Tiger Organisation Security
Intelligence Service) Chief Pottu Amman enjoys unfettered
access to the Supremo.
Bombing
Jeyanthy Nagar
The LTTE Leader is also extremely cautious about using
telephones or other communication equipment directly.
Once again, this is due to security reasons.
The Jeyanthy Nagar bunker was only one of the many abodes
used by the LTTE Chief. It is said that whenever Prabakharan
stays at Jeyanthy Nagar, he meets with orphaned children
residing in the area.
The Gandhi Children’s Home, run by a Hindu charitable
organisation, and the Aroganam Children’s Home,
maintained by the Christian Church, are situated in the
locality. Both children’s homes suffered some damage
in the November 28 attack but there were no civilian casualties.
Shrapnel from the bombs also fell within the premises
of the Kilinochchi Hindu College located in the area causing
students to disperse in panic and seek refuge in bunkers,
according to media reports quoting school officials.
Jeyanthy Nagar had been bombarded on November 26 as well
by the Air Force. On that day, the Air Force had bombed
Puthukudiyiruppu in Mullaitivu District and Jeyanthy Nagar
in Kilinochchi District within the timeframe of one hour.
The Puthukudiyiruppu bombardment targeted Ward No. 2 areas
of the town along the Paranthan Road. The attack began
at about 5 p.m. and continued for 20 minutes. At least
seven houses were destroyed.
November
26 attack
The Jeyanthy Nagar bombardment on November 26 began at
5:30 p.m. and continued till about 5:50 p.m. About six
houses in the area were destroyed and a few civilians
were injured.
The attacks were regarded as coordinated strikes aimed
at the LTTE Leader who reportedly shuttles between Puthukudiyiruppu
and Kilinochchi areas. It was suspected then that the
Air Force suspected Prabakharan was either in Puthukudiyiruppu
or Kilinochchi at that time.
It
is not known whether the LTTE Leader was in the targeted
areas on November 26. It was his 53rd birthday and presumably
the Sri Lanka Air Force wanted it to be the day of his
death too.
The ‘Maaveerar Naal’ or ‘Great Heroes
Day’ was on the following day. The LTTE Leader’s
annual address was scheduled to go on air on the evening
of November 27.
The
Air Force bombed the Voice of Tigers (VoT) radio station
in Kilinochchi shortly before the speech was to be relayed.
Eight persons including three civilian employees of VoT
were killed. Fifteen persons including four VoT employees
were injured. Prabhakaran’s pre-recorded speech
was broadcast as scheduled through back-up facilities.
It is not clear as to whether the Air Force had specific
information about Prabhakaran’s exact movements.
A US built Beech Craft reconnaissance aircraft and an
Israeli Scout Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) had been scouring
the skies over Kilinochchi for days before the attack.
It
is surmised that the security forces may have had information
of a top LTTE Tiger staying in the area and had bombed
indiscriminately. There may also have been intelligence
reports that Prabakharan himself moves about occasionally
in the Jeyanthy Nagar area.
Residents of the Wanni usually become aware that the LTTE
Chief is in the vicinity due to the tight security arrangements.
It is the practice to stop traffic and declare certain
roads closed when the Tiger Supremo is on the move.
Safe
abodes
Many places in the Wanni are out of bounds for civilians.
It is generally believed that the LTTE Chief and/ or senior
leaders have safe abodes in those areas. Other secret
LTTE facilities may also be situated there.
Many of these places are in the midst of civilian settlements.
They are usually well camouflaged and appear to be thick
vegetation when viewed from the air.
The Air Force scored tremendously when Suppiah Paramu
Thamilselvan, the LTTE Political Commissar, was killed
in an aerial strike on November 2. The Air Force apparently
had knowledge of the bunker being occupied by a top Tiger
but were unaware of who it was.
Colombo
was also unsure about whether the bombing had resulted
in top Tigers being killed. It was only after the LTTE
released the news that the government claimed success.
The LTTE Leader was shattered by his trusted deputy’s
death. When Pottu Amman and LTTE Sports Division Head
Pappa broke the bad news to Prabakharan, the LTTE Chief
broke down and wept.
A rare occasion when he had done so openly under similar
circumstances was in July 1983 when Lt. Sellakkili who
led the Thirunelvely ambush of July 23 was killed.
Former
LTTE Commander for Jaffna, Sathasivampillai Krishna Kumar
alias ‘Col.’ Kittu was to write later that
he had “never seen the Leader cry after that.”
Prabakharan was also in tears when Sathiyanathan alias
Shankar died while lying on his Leader’s lap in
Madurai in Tamil Nadu, India.
Tamilselvan’s
loss
Shankar was the first LTTE cadre to die of injuries sustained
in combat. He died on November 27, 1982. Since he was
the first LTTE ‘martyr,’ the day of his death
is observed as ‘Maaveerar Naal’ or ‘Great
Heroes Day.’
In spite of nearly 20, 000 LTTE cadres being killed over
the years, the loss of Thamilselvan affected Prabakharan
badly. He was accompanied by his eldest son Charles Anthony
when he went to pay his respects.
Later the LTTE Leader issued a special statement in which
he described Thamilselvan as his younger brother. He called
him a “peace dove” killed by a “giant
bomb.”
Prabakharan
was to refer to Thamilselvan in this year’s ‘Great
Heroes Day’ address too. Once again he called Thamilselvan
his younger brother and lamented the fact that he was
not there by his side to light the sacrificial flame.
While Prabakharan regarded Thamilselvan’s death
as a personal loss, most LTTE cadres and supporters with
a capacity to think independently were upset due to different
reasons.
The bomb that smashed into Thamilselvan’s bunker
at the Kilinochchi suburb of Thiruvaiyaaru was a powerful
“bunker buster” type. If Thamilselvan could
be killed that way, then other LTTE leaders including
Velupillai Prabakharan too could be similar victims, it
was feared.
Blatant
hyperbole
Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa contributed further
to this angst by boasting openly that every single LTTE
leader could be taken out one by one. Engaging in psychological
warfare, the Defence Secretary stated that they were aware
of where each LTTE leader was staying.
It was blatant hyperbole, because if the claim was true,
the Air Force could have killed several Tigers. Besides,
why should the LTTE be alerted on this issue by none other
than the mastermind behind Mahinda Rajapaksa’s military
campaign against the Tigers?
The
LTTE however did not take any chances and commenced massive
security changes after Thamilselvan’s death.
The attack on the VoT radio station exacerbated LTTE insecurity.
A series of new bunkers and safe abodes were constructed
in secret locations. The earlier places were abandoned
gradually.
This process was accelerated after the November 28th attack
on Prabakharan. The ‘relocation’ activities
are being undertaken at a hectic pace now.
As a result of new security arrangements, many of the
noted LTTE institutions are now empty and deserted. LTTE
structures of a parallel civil administration like police
stations, courts, banks, prisons, revenue offices, customs
offices, etc., have ceased to function.
Personnel
‘employed’ in these places have been inducted
into the civilian militia known as ‘Ellaip Padai’
(Border Force) and the former ‘civilian’ employees
have been deployed to strategic border areas. Close relatives
of top Tiger leaders have been exempted.
Most of the able-bodied persons languishing in Tiger jails
have been press-ganged into doing forced labour for the
LTTE. Many of these pathetic human beings are forced to
dig new bunkers and trenches.
‘No
go zones’ now open
With the LTTE abandoning many of its earlier positions
and abodes, the security arrangements surrounding those
places have also lapsed. The various ‘mini high
security zones’ are no longer restricted areas.
Tamil civilians are venturing cautiously into areas that
were ‘no go zones’ until recently.
According to knowledgeable sources, the LTTE may be constrained
to deny the incident indirectly if rumours about Prabhakaran’s
injuries gather momentum. The LTTE could also release
photographs and videographs of the LTTE Leader moving
around, appearing to be in the best of health.
This
is quite probable because of the slight injuries sustained.
Full recovery is possible within a short time span.
Meanwhile, paranoia about security and safety could be
on the rise among the upper echelons of the LTTE. A guess
could be hazarded that much of the concern is over Prabakharan.
LTTE cadres responsible for their Leader’s security
must be worried sick after the November 28 aerial attack
that caused minor injuries.
Although
Prabakharan escaped death, the probability of another
aerial strike being fatal cannot be dismissed lightly.
The LTTE has for many years caused many people to fear
sudden death. Instilling fear of death into others is
an integral component of its terror tactics. Now the tables
are turned. The predator is now prey on its home turf.
Gotabhaya’s
interview
Against this backdrop, an interview given by Defence Secretary
Gotabhaya Rajapaksa to the AFP news agency on November
28 assumes fresh significance. The AFP news report which
appeared in the Daily News of November 29 is reproduced
below:
“The government’s aim is to weaken the Liberation
Tigers of Tamil Eelam,” Defence Secretary Gotabhaya
Rajapaksa said.
“Our objective is to weaken them. We have to defeat
them militarily, we have to control Wanni,” he told
AFP in an interview at the Defence Ministry.
“It
is possible. We just have to squeeze them. Then a political
solution becomes possible,” the Defence Secretary
said, repeating his view that the Tigers only used a truce
to smuggle in more arms and can therefore only be bombed
into peace.
Rajapaksa said the government now had the upper hand in
the long-running conflict, with LTTE Leader Velupillai
Prabhakaran limited in both his movements and ability
to score strategic victories.
Earlier
this month, the LTTE’s Political Head, S.P. Thamilselvan,
was killed in an air strike. “That sent a very powerful
message: they know we have good intelligence on their
movements,” Rajapaksa said.
Monday was also the day the LTTE Chief marked his 53rd
birthday. “We are after him. We are specifically
targeting their leadership,” he said. “For
the last few months he has been even more restricted in
his movements. We want to keep them under pressure. We
are gathering intelligence, information.”
Prabhakaran’s
speech, broadcast yesterday, came at the end of a year
of several setbacks for the LTTE. Government forces regained
full control over the east in July, and have also managed
to sink the bulk of the Tigers’ fleet of gun-running
ships.
The Defence Secretary insisted that the tide of the 35-year-old
conflict was finally turning in the government’s
favour.
He
also signalled that the year ahead would see an escalation
of the conflict, finally closing a chapter of the “phoney
war” that began with a 2002 Norwegian-brokered ceasefire
and its progressive collapse. Still, Rajapaksa brushed
aside the significance of Tiger attacks.
“In
the end it’s just symbolic. It affects morale, but
strategically it makes no difference,” said the
Defence Secretary, who narrowly survived a suicide bomber
sent by Prabhakaran last year. “In the end, what
have they gained during the last 20 to 30 years? Just
destroyed property and destroyed lives.”
One
does not know the exact time that the interview was given,
but in what seems to be an eerie coincidence, Gotabhaya
Rajapaksa was saying “we are after him” in
Colombo, while the Air Force inflicted minor injuries
on Prabakharan in Kilinochchi on the same day!
Courtesy - The Nation