September27, 2008:
An Italian employee of a UN
sponsored NGO in LTTE territory, reported to the UN that he has quit to fight
for the LTTE. The government was not surprised at this, and has complained to
the UN for years that many of the NGOs in LTTE territory were basically working
for the LTTE, and helping obtain food and other aid for the LTTE.
So far this
year, 6,900 LTTE fighters and 680 security forces have been killed. There are several
hundred casualties a week, and the army is now four kilometers from Kilinochchi,
the LTTE "capital." The army is also fighting its way up the coast,
where the LTTE still manages to get a few boat loads of supplies in each week.
But even with that, there is a severe shortage of fuel, ammunition and
everything else in LTTE territory. While the army has, for several months, said
it would crush the LTTE by the end of the year, it now appears that the rebels
will not be able last more than another few weeks. After that, LTTE diehards
are expected to continue guerilla warfare and terrorist operations for as long
as they can.
September
26, 2008: Police found an LTTE bomb
making cache 40 kilometers north of the capital. Among the items found were 330
pounds of military (plastic) explosives, detonators and two suicide jackets.
September
25, 2008: The air force bombed an LTTE
radar station, It's not clear what kind of radar (ground, air or naval) it was.
The air force has a lot more targets as
the LTTE controlled territory shrinks, and more refugees come out (who can be
questioned about what is where back there).
September
24, 2008: The army discovered a group of
about 35 LTTE rebels operating in a national park near the southern coast.
There was one clash, and now more troops are being brought in to find and kill
or capture the rebels. This group is probably a remnant of the thousands of
LTTE gunmen who used to control eastern Sri Lanka until last year.
September
22, 2008: In the capital, an estimated 100,000
Tamil refugees (from LTTE controlled territory) are registering with the police.
This unpopular order is another attempt to track down LTTE terrorists before
attacks can be carried out. The capital has a population of 650,000, and nearly
all the terrorists encountered are Tamil. Weapons and bomb making materials
continue to be found in Tamil neighborhoods. The police believe many of these
Tamil refugees still support the LTTE and their terrorism tactics.