Situation Report

Navy on high alert for possible attacks

Upparu coastal area from where the Navy's Inshore patrol Craft (IPC) with the SLMM member on board came under fire. Photo: Ishara S. Kodikara

Three years after a ceasefire and a stalled peace talks, are the Security Forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) inching towards a collision course?

This is whilst the Norwegian peace facilitators are making a strong bid to reach finality on the Joint Mechanism between the two sides to share equitably the aid for tsunami recovery. More than three months after the catastrophe, Norwegians are stepping up their efforts to make this a reality.

Special Envoy Erik Solheim arrives in Colombo on April 18. He will fly the next day to Batticaloa, the scene of escalating violence and later travel for an overnight stay in Kilinochchi. There he will have talks with Political Wing leader S.P. Thamilselvan and others. The latter who is heading an LTTE delegation on a world tour is due in Colombo on April 17. He will travel by helicopter on the same day to Kilinochchi. On April 20 Mr. Solheim is due to meet Government leaders.

In this backdrop the Navy Headquarters in Colombo last week warned all their establishments of possible attacks by Tiger guerrillas. A warning sent out on April 4 quoted intelligence reports to say the guerrillas were attempting to attack vital targets. They were the Colombo Port, suicide attacks on naval craft or the Trincomalee Harbour during April. That warning called upon all major Naval establishments to be "extra vigilant and take maximum precautions."

Asked about this warning whilst a ceasefire was in force, the Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Daya Sandagiri, told The Sunday Times the alert was the result of an assessment of information. "Every month we assess the situation after studying the information we receive. Thereafter we take precautionary measures," he said. This time the Navy Chief's warning assumes greater significance since he is also the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). In this capacity he is in charge of the Joint Operations Headquarters (JOH) of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Police.

The fact that the previous ceasefire was broken with a Tiger guerrilla attack on a naval target has not been lost on Navy Headquarters. On April 19, 1995, guerrillas carried out an attack on the Trincomalee Harbour - an event that signalled the dawn of "Eelam War III." However, in terms of the Norwegian brokered Ceasefire Agreement of February 22, 2002, both sides are committed to give two week's notice to the Norwegian Government if they choose to terminate the CFA.

The relevant provision in the CFA states: "This Agreement shall remain in force until notice of termination is given by either Party to the RNG (Royal Norwegian Government). Such notice shall be given fourteen (14) days in advance of the effective date of termination."

Though mindful of this reality, the fact that the country's security establishment has been thrust into an increasingly defensive mode is significant enough. But their apprehensions are growing every week. This is due to a rapid enhancement of the guerrilla military power as well as the fresh offensives they have launched, both politically and militarily.

The past weeks have seen continued Hartals in the North. They are focused on many issues - mounting accidents involving security forces personnel where civilians have been killed, the demand to withdraw the security forces from High Security Zones, early conclusion of a Joint Mechanism to share tsunami aid and the disbanding of paramilitary groups. Interesting enough, such Hartals have occurred in regularity. This is when LTTE delegations are abroad to raise funds and espouse their cause. This time is no exception though violent incidents, particularly in the east, have now covered security forces and Police personnel.

Last Friday, four soldiers from the Army's detachment at Dehiwatte, south of Trincomalee, walked to the LB3 sector, a Mahaweli allotment. Three soldiers were busy cutting dried Palmyrah leaves from trees. They were needed to cover their outer fences. One soldier was wounded in the hand when guerrillas opened fire. Thereafter a group of guerrillas, Army officials say, surrounded the three soldiers. They wanted them to surrender with their weapons. The fourth that had remained at a distance had fired a few rounds into the air forcing the guerrillas to withdraw.

It was only last Tuesday a routine Sri Lanka Navy Inshore Patrol Craft (IPC) was fired at by Tiger guerrillas at Upparu. The IPC (P 162) was some 800 yards away from the shore when it was fired at. A message from the Eastern Naval Area Headquarters in Trincomalee to the Navy Headquarters in Colombo relates what happened:

"Whilst on routine patrol with SLMM (Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission) representative Mr. Alf Stoelann on board (with SLMM flag flying) P 162 was fired upon by LTTE using small arms. Observed 03 gunshots above water line starboard ship side with one more slip shot on the wheel house door. One 7.62 X 39 millimetre damaged projectile on the rear deck (on starboard engine cover) found.

"Radar cover in side wheel house damaged due to above firing. No casualties.
"SLMM representative sustained minor injury to right lower leg whilst dashing into wheel house for cover during this incident and treated by SLN (Sri Lanka Navy) medical staff on arrival Dockyard.

"Crew indicates approximately 75 to 100 rounds fired from 04 locations close to each other on land (between Upparu and Gangai).
"SLMM representative confirm IPC (Inshore Patrol Craft) not acting provocatively nor firing done either before, during and after this incident.

"Recovered a projectile sealed with signature of SLMM reference OIC P 162 and SO (HD) and held in safe custody as material evidence."
LTTE's Political Wing leader for Trincomalee, Elilan charged that there had been firing from the IPC - a position which the SLMM does not accept. They are to raise issue with the LTTE over this incident, which the SLMM discerns, is a violation of the CFA.

Intelligence sources in Colombo say the IPC drew rapid fire possibly after guerrillas feared they were heading towards an area where training activity was going on. As exclusively revealed in The Sunday Times (Situation Report - July 25, 2004) Tiger guerrillas have fortified their military position in the Sampur - Upparu - Gangai areas by establishing mortar positions and other encampments. These areas overlook the Trincomalee harbour, home for the Navy's Eastern Command. As revealed in The Sunday Times, during a confrontation the new positions established by the LTTE could effectively block naval movements from this strategic harbour.

Just a day after the attack on the IPC, on Wednesday a Police Constable was killed when guerrillas reportedly opened fire at a Tsunami relief store they were guarding in Kalmunai in the Ampara district. A Police security assistant was injured. The attackers seized two automatic rifles in their possession.

Besides the security forces and the police, guerrilla cadres have also continued attacks on many regarded as rivals. Last Monday they shot dead 55-year-old Thyagarajah Kailanathan, Director of Vocational Training at Douglas Devananda's Ministry. He was at lunch at the Kathankudy Technical College when the assailants struck. The same day there was also a grenade attack on an office of the Eelam People Democratic Party (EPDP) in Karathivu.

The next day (Tuesday) Arumugam Ambigai Pahan, an EPDP member was shot and wounded. He was at the Vijaya Cinema in Batticaloa when the incident occurred. On the same day, John Silva Amerasingham, a member of the Eelam Peoples' Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) was shot dead in Akkaraipattu. On April 8 Adman Packiyarajah, an Army deserter, was shot dead when he was travelling in a bus from Valachenai to Kalmunai. On the same day, Edward Packyaraja, a former EPDP cadre, who had later joined a pro security forces paramilitary group, was shot dead in Kattankudy in the Batticaloa district.

Yesterday, the Army said, a soldier was abducted in Thanganagar in Mutur by Tiger guerrillas.
On the other hand, the LTTE has also begun to accuse the security forces of being behind attacks on them. They accused them of firing rocket propelled grenades at a check point in Poonagar - located in a junction a small stretch of no man's land that divides the Government "controlled" areas from those "uncleared" near Trincomalee. LTTE Political Wing leader for the district, Elilan has lodged a complaint to the local SLMM officials.

Placing troops on alert is not the only option the authorities have resorted to in the wake of new threats emerging from Tiger guerrillas. Defence authorities have also been thrust into action studying new threat perceptions and identifying responses necessary.

Some soldier turned bureaucrats who failed to enforce their theories whilst in uniform have now revived them under a new cloak - going high tech - and are expounding their virtues. Going more "high tech" also means spending more of the taxpayer's money. In the past such moves have seen the birth of millionaires both in and out of uniform. It seems no different this time. It was only weeks ago the local agent of an East European supplier tried unsuccessfully to palm off phased out, old radar as "high tech" equipment to meet new air threats posed by the LTTE.

But one area where such threat perceptions are receiving high priority is the LTTE's acquisition of air capability - the construction of a 1.2 kilometre airstrip near the Iranamadu tank in Kilinochchi and the acquisition of light aircraft. The United States authorities have already helped identify one such aircraft as a Czech built Zlin Z-143 light aircraft. Last week a top Indian defence official was in Sri Lanka studying the threats posed by this new air capability and making an in depth study on counter measures planned by the Government. These measures are part of an overall national air defence plan.

In this backdrop, a high ranking United States military official arrives in Sri Lanka on Monday on a two-day visit. He is Admiral William J. Fallon, Commander of the United States Pacific Command headquartered in Hawaii.

Admiral Fallon is an experienced naval flight officer who had completed flying assignments with Attack Squadrons and Carrier Wings of the US Navy for more than 24 years. His service has been in the Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. He has logged more than 1,300 carrier arrested landings and 4,800 flight hours in tactical jet aircraft. He has also distinguished himself in shore duties.

Admiral Fallon will fly to Jaffna on Tuesday for meetings with senior local military officials in the peninsula. He is due to leave the same day after a military reception in his honour.

Even if a "no war, no peace" situation continues during a ceasefire as the nation marks another Sinhala and Hindu new year, both the security forces and the LTTE appear to have been distracted by other priorities. The security forces have been jolted into action to meet fresh LTTE threats. For the LTTE, that has been modernising its military might, acquired an air capability is now hell bent on achieving political and military supremacy in the East.

This is whilst the UPFA finds itself in an unenviable position. The LTTE has now agreed to clauses in the proposed Joint Mechanism proposals which the Government thought it would reject. In the coming weeks, with mounting international pressure, they would be compelled to follow suit. What follows thereafter, whether it would be a political tsunami or not, remains to be seen.

Vessel or whale: Navy on alert
A Dvora (P 490) patrol craft set off from the Sri Lanka Navy's Northern Naval Area Headquarters in Kankesanthurai on Monday March 28 on a routine patrol. That was off the deep seas east of the Jaffna peninsula.

Dusk was enveloping the area when men on board saw what seemed a worrying sight - an unidentified submersible object diving into the sea. Was it an underwater craft acquired by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)? Was it a submarine belonging to a foreign country? Was it a whale that surfaced momentarily to dive into the waters again?

The find prompted Commander of the Northern Naval Area, Rear Admiral Vasantha Tennekoon, to flash a secret message to Navy Headquarters, Eastern Naval Area Headquarters, Flag Officer Commanding Naval Fleet and Fast Attack Craft Fleet to be "extra vigilant, attack and destroy" if the unidentified object was sighted within Sri Lanka's territorial waters.

The message gave the official account of the find on March 28. It said:
"Observed unidentified submerge (sic) underwater object moving approximate speed 10 knots course 210 towards the land at general area 9 degrees 48 minutes 27 north, 80 degrees 25 minutes 91 east at 1855 hrs / 28th"

In layman's terms the location is identified as 15 nautical miles east of the Point Pedro coast. See map.
Navy Headquarters is trying to ascertain what exactly the Navy men on board the Dvora P 490 saw. At first, senior officers at the Northern Naval area have questioned those who were on duty. They have confirmed the object was observed, some three cables (or 600 yards) away both from the port and the starboard side.

Senior Navy officers discount the Tiger guerrillas possessing a submersible craft or what is loosely referred to as a "mini submarine." Firstly, they point out that the guerrillas would require a base from which to operate the craft. Existing bases of the guerrilla sea going arm, the Sea Tigers, are located in shallow areas and hence lack the depth for submersible objects to operate. Secondly, they doubt the guerrillas would have an underwater vessel of any sort that could possess the endurance to travel up to 15 nautical miles in to the sea.

However, it is known that the LTTE was constructing a submersible craft at a construction site located in a Thai coast. The Police in that country raided the facility.

A possibility which Navy officials do not discount is the likelihood of a submarine belonging to a foreign country surfacing. They say non-nuclear powered submarines do surface after a few hours under water for operational reasons. This has been observed in the past beyond Sri Lanka's 12-mile territorial waters. Another possibility, they say, is the remote likelihood of the Dvora P490 patrol observing a whale.

While the guessing game goes on, the order for Navy patrols to shoot down any suspected submersible object within Sri Lanka's territorial waters remains.

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