March 24, 2007:
The LTTE continues to use suicide bombers. Today, one detonated at an
army roadblock, killing himself and a soldier.
Not much has been heard from the senior LTTE leadership. With a third of
their strength (the forces in the east) destroyed, or about to be, a weakened
LTTE in the north has to face a victorious and confident Sri Lankan armed
forces. The navy has cut LTTE supply lines, the air force is increasingly
capable of finding, and destroying LTTE bases, and the army is no longer out
maneuvered and out fought by the LTTE infantry. The government would like to
negotiate a peace, based an autonomy for Tamils. But the LTTE appears to be
holding to its policy of separatism (partition of the island) or nothing.
March 22, 2007:
The remaining LTTE fighters in the east are not surrendering, although
some are known to have simply deserted their units. Several hundred armed LTTE
remain in the east, and they are apparently going to fight to the death.
Fighting in the east and north are causing several hundred casualties a day. In
the east, about 15,000 civilians a day are fleeing their homes, to avoid the
fighting between troops and the remaining LTTE gunmen.
March 21, 2007:
Tamil civilians continue to flee their villages in the east. Nearly
100,000 have done so in the last week. The remaining LTTE gunmen are angry at
Tamil civilians, who are not as enthusiastic about supporting the rebels as
they once were.
March 20, 2007:
Air force bombers found and attacked an LTTE naval base in the north,
destroying ships used for moving arms, and some stockpiles of weapons and
munitions that had not been moved inland yet. At sea, the navy destroyed four
more LTTE supply boats.
March 19, 2007:
Fighting over the weekend caused 20-30 casualties a day. There is still
a lot of mortar and artillery fire. but less so from the LTTE. The navy
continues to catch LTTE ships bringing in ammunition, and this is beginning to
show up in the form of less artillery and mortar fire from the LTTE. The army
is still fighting small groups of LTTE gunmen in the east.
March 16, 2007:
The fighting has shifted to the north, where the LTTE is still strong.
Army patrols are probing LTTE defenses, causing a number of small battles.