November 20,2008:
The army has six divisions fighting in the north against the LTTE. In the
west, the 58th divisions advances along the coast. Next to it, inland and
advancing on the LTTE capital of Kilinochchi, is the 57th division. Two Task
Forces from the 58th division, are to the right of the 57th, covering large
areas of front. Coming up from the south, in the center of the island, is the
56th division. On the east coast is the 59th division. In the Jaffna peninsula,
which is cut off from the rest of the island by LTTE territory, are the 53rd
and 55th divisions. The 57th and 58th divisions have made the greatest gains
this year, liberating nearly half (the western half) of LTTE held territory in
the north.
The LTTE
runs a highly organized police state in the territory it still controls in the
north. The LTTE decides who works for the NGOs, and these aid organizations are
persuaded, or coerced, to do what the LTTE wants. The families of those who get
NGO jobs via the LTTE, are obliged to provide one or more teenage or adult men
or women for the LTTE combat units, and these "volunteers" are
expected to be diligent soldiers, or else their families will suffer. These
families also provide most of the suicide bombers.
Unable to
stop the army advance, the LTTE is trying to manipulate public opinion in
India, and throughout the world, to get the Sri Lankan government to accept a
ceasefire. They do this by stressing the suffering of Tamil civilians living in
territory controlled by the LTTE. These civilians are basically hostages, with
the LTTE threatening to kill anyone who tries to flee to government territory.
LTTE fighters at the front line have orders to keep the army out, and Tamil
civilians in. While many of the civilians are all for more Tamil autonomy in
Sri Lanka, they also find themselves trapped by the LTTE and its determination
to fight to the end. To make that happen, all adult Tamils are now subject to
involuntary military service. Most of these fighters barely know how to operate
their weapons, but the LTTE has found a way to make them useful even if they
are killed. If some of these fighters are hit by an air strike or artillery,
their weapons are taken away, and pictures taken to show "civilians killed
by Sri Lankan military." The LTTE also puts many military facilities in
residential areas. So if the place get hit with artillery or air power, there
will likely be civilian casualties that can be used to try and change Indian,
and world, opinion against the Sri Lankans. The LTTE wants a ceasefire badly,
but the government is demanding that the LTTE surrender its weapons before that
happens.
The capture
of the Poonaryn peninsula now allows the army to attack the heavily defended
LTTE capital of Kilinochchi from three sides. Kilinochchi is heavily defended,
and the army does not want to take a lot of casualties taking it by direct
assault. So the battle is proceeding like a siege, with the army wearing down defenses
and taking the defenders bunkers one at a time. Meanwhile, troops are beginning
to take more LTTE territory on the east coast. The LTTE is having a hard time
maintaining the front lines across the island, and the army is pushing through
in more and more places, especially to the sides of Kilinochchi.
November 18,
2008: The navy sank two LTTE smuggling boats off the east coast, killing at
least six rebels. With the west coast now controlled by the army, the navy can
concentrate all its efforts on patrolling the LTTE controlled part of the
northeast coast.
November 17,
2008: The government seized $650,000
from an NGO that was acting as a conduit for charitable contributions used to
support LTTE military operations. Now that most major nations have declared the
LTTE a terrorist organization, it's a lot easier for investigators to find out
where the LTTE money is coming from, and stop it.
November 16,
2008: The army has captured the entire
west coast, cutting the LTTE off from any seaborne resupply. This also means
that the Poonaryn peninsula, which is just south of the larger Jaffna
peninsula, can no longer be used as a base for LTTE artillery (which could then
cover most of the Jaffna area with fire). In any event, the LTTE has little
artillery ammunition left, because the navy has sharply reduced the LTTE
smuggling operations. The army withdrew from the Poonaryn peninsula in 1996, after
defending an army base there from LTTE
attacks, which cost the army several thousand soldiers killed, wounded or
captured. The capture of Poonaryn also opens the west coast highway (the A-32)
which restores the land link to the Jaffna peninsula.
November 15,
2008: The two divisions on the Jaffna
peninsula (the 53rd and 55th) are now attacking south against LTTE defenses
that have been depleted by the need for reinforcements in Kilinochchi. After a
few days, the army had taken the first line of LTTE bunkers and moved forward.
There are two other lines of bunkers, and the LTTE is probably building a new
third line. The army is seeking to open the A-9 highway, which goes from the
Jaffna peninsula, south through the center of the island.