Wednesday, 31 December 2008
LTTE vacates from Paranthan
LTTE has withdrawn from the Paranthan area. Tiger defences to the west and east of Paranthan, and along the A35 all the way to Puthukkudiyiruppu have been strengthened in anticipation of SLA's next move. Although Paranthan has fallen, supply lines to EPS and the MKN axis are intact as the LTTE never used the A9 to service defences north of Paranthan. As well as using covert land routes, EPS and MKN are being serviced by the sea tigers.
Tuesday, 30 December 2008
Tactical withdrawals and tactical manoeuvres
The fact that LTTE has yielded territory to the SLA is not disputed by the LTTE military and political hierarchy. However, what is less well known (but should be obvious to everyone) is the strategy behind yielding territory. LTTE has believed in and continues to believe in the time tested “defence in depth” strategies. This strategy has time and again proven to be the trump card for the LTTE. One only has to look at the disastrous Jayasikuru and the immensely successful Ceaseless waves operations of the past century for proof of this strategy’s effectiveness.
For those of who aren’t aware of defence in depth, following is a short intro from Wikipedia:
“Defence in depth is a military strategy sometimes referred to as elastic defence or deep defence. Defence in depth seeks to delay rather than prevent the advance of an attacker, buying time and causing additional casualties by yielding space. Rather than defeating an attacker with a single, strong defensive line, defence in depth relies on the tendency of an attack to lose momentum over a period of time or as it covers a larger area. A defender can thus yield lightly-defended territory in an effort to stress an attacker's logistics or spread out a numerically superior attacking force. Once an attacker has lost momentum or is forced to spread out to pacify a large area, defensive counter-attacks can be mounted on the attacker's weak points with the goal being to cause attrition warfare or drive the attacker back to its original starting position”.
As we speak, the LTTE is engaged in defence in depth. SLA units have been encouraged to move right up to the outskirts of the Kili and Mulla townships by the LTTE, the entire western coastal belt (including Poonakari), entire district of Mannar and Vavuniya, and part of the eastern belt was ordered to be vacated as per the instructions of the LTTE military panel. These tactical manoeuvres were intended to assist the LTTE battlefield commanders to effectively pursue the defence in depth tactics.
The world is now witnessing the beginnings of the counter attacks and decapitation strikes by the LTTE. The SLA has been effectively stalled in multiple fronts and the attrition rate is very high. Earlier, military and political observers made light of these strategic manoeuvres by making a mockery of LTTE tactical withdrawals, it is only now the tactical nature of these withdrawals are coming to light. The upcoming weeks will see LTTE launch surprise attacks and regain vacated territory. The LTTE has ample hardcore battle hardened well trained armed cadres, sufficient hardware, high morale and funding to carry out a long drawn out campaign against the SLA.
Meanwhile, speculation is rife about a schism in the LTTE hierarchy. Rumours are circulating that Poddu Amman and Colonel Soosai have been relieved of duties, and various other Colonels are under house arrest. The blog owner can confirm that these reports are entirely without merit and there is not even a shred of truth in these fabrications. Poddu Amman, Colonel Soosai and the other Colonels are in their respective positions and have the full support of our leader. Also there was news that Colonel Ramesh was seriously injured and in a critical condition, we can confirm that Colonel Ramesh did suffer from shrapnel wounds, however, the injuries are not life threatening in any way and he is expected to recover very soon and lead from the front in the coming few days.
Lastly, the blog owner is proud say that our PC-7 article was referred in the latest post by The Long Ranger.
For those of who aren’t aware of defence in depth, following is a short intro from Wikipedia:
“Defence in depth is a military strategy sometimes referred to as elastic defence or deep defence. Defence in depth seeks to delay rather than prevent the advance of an attacker, buying time and causing additional casualties by yielding space. Rather than defeating an attacker with a single, strong defensive line, defence in depth relies on the tendency of an attack to lose momentum over a period of time or as it covers a larger area. A defender can thus yield lightly-defended territory in an effort to stress an attacker's logistics or spread out a numerically superior attacking force. Once an attacker has lost momentum or is forced to spread out to pacify a large area, defensive counter-attacks can be mounted on the attacker's weak points with the goal being to cause attrition warfare or drive the attacker back to its original starting position”.
As we speak, the LTTE is engaged in defence in depth. SLA units have been encouraged to move right up to the outskirts of the Kili and Mulla townships by the LTTE, the entire western coastal belt (including Poonakari), entire district of Mannar and Vavuniya, and part of the eastern belt was ordered to be vacated as per the instructions of the LTTE military panel. These tactical manoeuvres were intended to assist the LTTE battlefield commanders to effectively pursue the defence in depth tactics.
The world is now witnessing the beginnings of the counter attacks and decapitation strikes by the LTTE. The SLA has been effectively stalled in multiple fronts and the attrition rate is very high. Earlier, military and political observers made light of these strategic manoeuvres by making a mockery of LTTE tactical withdrawals, it is only now the tactical nature of these withdrawals are coming to light. The upcoming weeks will see LTTE launch surprise attacks and regain vacated territory. The LTTE has ample hardcore battle hardened well trained armed cadres, sufficient hardware, high morale and funding to carry out a long drawn out campaign against the SLA.
Meanwhile, speculation is rife about a schism in the LTTE hierarchy. Rumours are circulating that Poddu Amman and Colonel Soosai have been relieved of duties, and various other Colonels are under house arrest. The blog owner can confirm that these reports are entirely without merit and there is not even a shred of truth in these fabrications. Poddu Amman, Colonel Soosai and the other Colonels are in their respective positions and have the full support of our leader. Also there was news that Colonel Ramesh was seriously injured and in a critical condition, we can confirm that Colonel Ramesh did suffer from shrapnel wounds, however, the injuries are not life threatening in any way and he is expected to recover very soon and lead from the front in the coming few days.
Lastly, the blog owner is proud say that our PC-7 article was referred in the latest post by The Long Ranger.
Friday, 26 December 2008
As an Year comes to an end...
As another year of our freedom struggle comes to an end we must look back and contemplate a few facets of our activities. We must also prepare for the New Year ahead with new strength and focus.
Needless to say, the sacrifices made by Thamil Eelaam citizens must never go unappreciated. So is the support of tens of thousands of Thamils around the world. Even ideas and contributions made on blogs like this may have contributed to our cause over the past twelve months. Thank You! to all supporters of the cause who blogged here.
It has been a year of mixed results; some definite victories and some set backs. Twelve months ago we were successfully defending Madhu area and our borders in Vavuniya. We had enjoyed some mega successful attacks such as the destruction of Anuradhapuram Air Base, successful TAF air strikes on key economic targets of Sri Lanka, etc.
As far as gathering information is concerned, what is becoming more and more difficult is getting reliable information from LTTE officials as the lines of communications have all but dwindled to a trickle. Also, the LTTE strategists are maintaining a higher level of secrecy as things hot-up nearing the counter attack – which would be a mother of all counter attacks. I have been struggling to reach some of my closest and most reliable contacts/sources in Kilinochchi and Mulathivu in the past few days. The festive season may have been a contributing factor.
The next step is to identify the weaknesses of the enemy and hit where it hurts most. This is what is suggested by Mr. Nadesan, the Head of LTTE Political Wing. We have the know-how, wherewithal and the man power to do this very successfully. Exhausting or disabling the economic power of a nation has been a war strategy in modern warfare. Therefore it is not wrong to be considered as a serious option. However, we must be careful not to give the wrong impression to the world and maintain our position as Freedom Fighters in the eyes of the IC.
Needless to say, the sacrifices made by Thamil Eelaam citizens must never go unappreciated. So is the support of tens of thousands of Thamils around the world. Even ideas and contributions made on blogs like this may have contributed to our cause over the past twelve months. Thank You! to all supporters of the cause who blogged here.
It has been a year of mixed results; some definite victories and some set backs. Twelve months ago we were successfully defending Madhu area and our borders in Vavuniya. We had enjoyed some mega successful attacks such as the destruction of Anuradhapuram Air Base, successful TAF air strikes on key economic targets of Sri Lanka, etc.
As far as gathering information is concerned, what is becoming more and more difficult is getting reliable information from LTTE officials as the lines of communications have all but dwindled to a trickle. Also, the LTTE strategists are maintaining a higher level of secrecy as things hot-up nearing the counter attack – which would be a mother of all counter attacks. I have been struggling to reach some of my closest and most reliable contacts/sources in Kilinochchi and Mulathivu in the past few days. The festive season may have been a contributing factor.
The next step is to identify the weaknesses of the enemy and hit where it hurts most. This is what is suggested by Mr. Nadesan, the Head of LTTE Political Wing. We have the know-how, wherewithal and the man power to do this very successfully. Exhausting or disabling the economic power of a nation has been a war strategy in modern warfare. Therefore it is not wrong to be considered as a serious option. However, we must be careful not to give the wrong impression to the world and maintain our position as Freedom Fighters in the eyes of the IC.
Wednesday, 24 December 2008
Kilinochchi & the IDP Crisis
In a recent email interview with the BBC Sinhala Service Mr Nadesan, head of Thamil Eelaam Political Wing indicated that Kilinochchi may need to be given up at this stage. However he vowed that the LTTE will continue defending its motherland regardless.
This could come as somewhat of a discouragement to citizens of Thamil Eelaam, to those who support the LTTE and look up to Kilinochchi as their capital city. However tactical manoeuvres are expected when battles such as these are on going. Commanders on the ground are capable of assessing the situation and taking the best course of action.
The main cause for concern is the IDP population who are made vulnerable due to SLDF aggression. The LTTE are fully committed to provide safety and security to their citizens. There are some indications, though unreliable, that some IDP’s are crossing over to GOSL held areas as the conditions become difficult. GOSL propaganda has been saying this for months now, though grossly exaggerated. LTTE are actively encouraging the citizens of Thamil Eelaam not to desert their nation when their nation needs them most.
As confrontations rage nearer and nearer to Kilinochchi & Mulathivu, it does indicate that Thamil Eelaam land area has been invaded and the LTTE are no longer in control of the historic Thamil Eelaam land mass. An “unceasing waves” type counter attack is believed to be the only way to regain the lost ground and this is expected soon. According to sources close to LTTE military strategy panel this monumental counter attack is expected to be on land, sea and air.
This could come as somewhat of a discouragement to citizens of Thamil Eelaam, to those who support the LTTE and look up to Kilinochchi as their capital city. However tactical manoeuvres are expected when battles such as these are on going. Commanders on the ground are capable of assessing the situation and taking the best course of action.
The main cause for concern is the IDP population who are made vulnerable due to SLDF aggression. The LTTE are fully committed to provide safety and security to their citizens. There are some indications, though unreliable, that some IDP’s are crossing over to GOSL held areas as the conditions become difficult. GOSL propaganda has been saying this for months now, though grossly exaggerated. LTTE are actively encouraging the citizens of Thamil Eelaam not to desert their nation when their nation needs them most.
As confrontations rage nearer and nearer to Kilinochchi & Mulathivu, it does indicate that Thamil Eelaam land area has been invaded and the LTTE are no longer in control of the historic Thamil Eelaam land mass. An “unceasing waves” type counter attack is believed to be the only way to regain the lost ground and this is expected soon. According to sources close to LTTE military strategy panel this monumental counter attack is expected to be on land, sea and air.
Tuesday, 23 December 2008
Latest addition to TAF fleet
Defence analysts, both local and international assume that the LTTE only have a few modified Zlin-143s at their disposal. This assumption is based on the fact that only the Zlins have been observed to have carried out successful bombing runs in the south. However, this blog owner can confirm that the Zlin is only one of the aircraft types out of the many that the LTTE have in their TAF fleet.
The latest addition to the TAF fleet is the Pilatus PC-7. The Pilatus PC-7 is the trainer version of the military version Pilatus PC-7 MK II in use by the South African air force for border patrols, ground-to-air attacks, intercepting low / slow flying aircrafts (such as attack helicopters), and counter insurgency missions. The KP branch could not get hold of the MK II due to import / export restrictions and non availability in the open market. However, the trainer versions are widely available in the open market. The Pilatus range is designed, developed and manufactured in Switzerland.
So far, the PC-7 has not flown combat missions. The main problem faced by the TAF engineers in adapting the PC-7 for combat was the fact that the locally developed bomb rack could not be fixed on to the PC-7 without seriously compromising the external structure. The bomb rack could not be mounted on the aircraft because the MLG (retractable wheel) unit or the VHF antennae gets in the way.
However, the foreign trained TAF engineers were always of the opinion that the PC-7 can be adapted to carry weapons on wing mounted pylons, and for months had been working on overcoming technical issues of arming the aircraft. This blog owner can now reveal that the TAF engineers headed by Charles Anthony managed to fix the bomb rack without compromising the external structure of the aircraft. We will not disclose how this was done due to the need to maintain operational secrecy. The Pilatus is expected to be in action soon.
The Pilatus can also be adapted for VIP transport.
The latest addition to the TAF fleet is the Pilatus PC-7. The Pilatus PC-7 is the trainer version of the military version Pilatus PC-7 MK II in use by the South African air force for border patrols, ground-to-air attacks, intercepting low / slow flying aircrafts (such as attack helicopters), and counter insurgency missions. The KP branch could not get hold of the MK II due to import / export restrictions and non availability in the open market. However, the trainer versions are widely available in the open market. The Pilatus range is designed, developed and manufactured in Switzerland.
So far, the PC-7 has not flown combat missions. The main problem faced by the TAF engineers in adapting the PC-7 for combat was the fact that the locally developed bomb rack could not be fixed on to the PC-7 without seriously compromising the external structure. The bomb rack could not be mounted on the aircraft because the MLG (retractable wheel) unit or the VHF antennae gets in the way.
However, the foreign trained TAF engineers were always of the opinion that the PC-7 can be adapted to carry weapons on wing mounted pylons, and for months had been working on overcoming technical issues of arming the aircraft. This blog owner can now reveal that the TAF engineers headed by Charles Anthony managed to fix the bomb rack without compromising the external structure of the aircraft. We will not disclose how this was done due to the need to maintain operational secrecy. The Pilatus is expected to be in action soon.
The Pilatus can also be adapted for VIP transport.
Monday, 22 December 2008
Demonstration against the LTTE - A farce
The so called “protest” against the LTTE recently held in Yalpanam (Jaffna) has been nothing but a farce. Sources within the Thamil Eelaam commercial capital have informed this blog that the majority of the protesters did so under some form of pro-GOSL influence rather that their own conviction. It is reliably confirmed to this blog that a significant number of “protesters” didn’t even know what they were demonstrating about!
In any invasion scenario there are situations where the invader and the invaded form alliances which are mutually beneficial. Though the practicalities and logistics of these alliances may appear to be, at best, a compromise, or at worst, a total surrender to the invader, the reality of this particular demonstration is that the Tamil citizens of Yalpanam were forced or misdirected to perform this activity for GOSL propaganda purposes.
We must not ignore or reject the fact that some citizens would compromise their values for economic and/or other gains. This has happened in history whenever a nation is invaded by another. For political, economic, monetary and other gains, the invaded went along with the invaders to some extent. Sometimes this was only till an opportune moment came along to create a 5th column within the invader’s ranks, weaken them and defeat the invaders from within.
Anyone believing these protest were genuine are grossly mistaken.
In any invasion scenario there are situations where the invader and the invaded form alliances which are mutually beneficial. Though the practicalities and logistics of these alliances may appear to be, at best, a compromise, or at worst, a total surrender to the invader, the reality of this particular demonstration is that the Tamil citizens of Yalpanam were forced or misdirected to perform this activity for GOSL propaganda purposes.
We must not ignore or reject the fact that some citizens would compromise their values for economic and/or other gains. This has happened in history whenever a nation is invaded by another. For political, economic, monetary and other gains, the invaded went along with the invaders to some extent. Sometimes this was only till an opportune moment came along to create a 5th column within the invader’s ranks, weaken them and defeat the invaders from within.
Anyone believing these protest were genuine are grossly mistaken.
Sunday, 21 December 2008
Army moves into Nedunkerni
Wanni LTTE sources indicate that SLA's TF4 has moved into Nedunkerni. This town was abandoned by the LTTE in August 2008 as it was not strategically important to the LTTE. Sources indicate that the army took over 4 months to move in Nedunkerni as the town itself and the adjoining areas were heavily minded and booby trapped. SLA after wasting precious resources to clear the area of mines and booby traps moved into the town this morning. LTTE battlefield commanders informed this blog owner that they fail to see why the town is of such importance to the SLA, and added that the move only contributes to thinning out of the 59th division and the TF4, which would expose the units stationed their to LTTE commando raids.
Saturday, 20 December 2008
The Plain Truth
With torrential monsoon rains pouring down on Thamil Eelaam, the actual plight of the SLDF is as follows.
It is prudent to take a closer look at GOSL propaganda. The terminology used on websites and media coverage in general do confirm the extreme difficulties SLDF are presently experiencing and their imminent withdrawal from the area. “Stiff resistance”, “pitched battles”, “minor damages”(to SLDF), “fierce fighting”, etc., all mean one thing - SLDF are poised for yet another defeat within Thamil Eelaam preceded by heavy loses of hardware and personnel.
The land based offensive is at a disastrous juncture for the SLDF due to elite LTTE forces defending from well dug-in positions. The present inclement weather not helping the uninvited guests to Thamil Eelaam, the LTTE are in their own back yard, turning all natural and geographical features to their advantage. With military hardware amply in stock and all important supply routes intact, the LTTE are confident of a fight-to-death – death being that of SLDF.
Knowing it is a no-win situation for the infantry, the GOSL propaganda machine is diverting the observer’s attention to sea and air based activities in the hope of scraping some popular support for continual military aggression. LTTE sources from the front lines confirm that according to information extracted from captured SLA soldiers (including high ranking warrant officers), the GOSL is seriously considering a ceasefire or at least a suspension of hostilities towards the Tamils, the citizens of Thamil Eelaam.
Friday, 19 December 2008
Update
Wanni LTTE sources have indicated that SLA advances have been stalled in all fronts. There have been no new SLA thrusts apart from sporadic skirmishes in the past two days. This can be also be corroborated by the fact that all pro GoSL sites have been silent on battle field news. Political sources have indicated that both GoSL and the opposition are begging for the visit of Pranab Mukherjee as GoSL is rumoured to want a ceasefire due to soaring casualties, low morale and spiralling defence costs. The calls for a ceasefire comes amidst CJ's judgement on oil prices and the oil hedge gone wrong which is crippling the Sri Lankan economy.
Meanwhile SLAF fighter jets have once again attacked an IDP camp. The SLAF justifies these attacks by claiming that LTTE units are hiding in among civilians, sources have indicated to this blog owner that this claim is completely unfounded.
Will aim to provide more battlefield news in a few days.
Thursday, 18 December 2008
Task Force 1's Folly
After being honey trapped to advance into Pooneryn by the LTTE who strategically relocated to Paranthan, SLA's TF1 is bearing the brunt of fierce counter attacks launched by LTTE regular and commando units. Over the past few days, TF1 has largely turned into an offensive force trying to hold on to their FDLs. A decapitation strike at TF1's rear is expected imminently.
Informed LTTE sources have told this blog owner that SLA 57th formations who attempted to advance towards Iranamadu west have been targeted by Ratha regiment artillery and mortar units, SLA's advance has been effectively stalled just in front of the L-shaped earth bund. The SLA also used MBRLs and MBTs (main battle tanks) during numerous pre-dawn raids, after initially gaining territory, the formations have gone back to their original positions following wave after wave of counter artillery and mortar barrages from the Ratha units. Sources also indicate that Victor anti tank units have managed to cripple at least two MBTs. The abandoned MBTs can be observed between no man's land in the theatre of operations.
With the 53rd and 55th also being resisted on the MKN axis, it remains to be seen what the SLA's next strategy is. Informed sources have indicated that battle fatigue, low morale and water borne illnesses have plagued SLA front line units. SLA casualties during the past week have been over 300KIA and over 500 walking wounded.
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