Troops brace for LTTE attack

By V.S.Sambandan

COLOMBO, MAY 6. An estimated 25,000 Sri Lankan troops in the northern Jaffna peninsula braced themselves for possible attacks by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in the days ahead as the Tigers made their presence felt in the Nagar Kovil, Thanankilappu and Ariyalai areas.

Air strikes were also reportedly carried out yesterday on identified rebel positions north and south of Elephant Pass, the Defence Ministry said.

Of the possible scenarios, a thrust by the Tigers along the eastern arm of the Peninsula could be the most damaging as an advance towards Point Pedro on the northern coast would bring both the Palaly airbase as well as the northern waters within the range of the LTTE's firepower.

The Nagar Kovil thrust, however, could take a relatively longer period than the Kilali-Chavakachcheri attack. Presently a few km from bringing Palaly within the range of their artillery, the Tigers have apparently hit the ``breathe before pounce'' mode in a battle marked by short pauses punctuating successive pounces - the tenor of the conflict in northern Sri Lanka since the Vanni reversals of last November.

Runovers of army camps have been marked by short pauses before the offensive. In this context, the relative lull in the past four days is seen by military observers here as a pause before the next strike.

With the Tigers in a position to choose any of the two sectors - Kilali and Nagar Kovil - to launch their next attack, the Army is gearing up on both fronts.

With independent access for journalists to the battlefront banned and telecommunication links with the Jaffna peninsula remaining severed, no direct information is available on the morale of the troops.

The much-required air support for the soldiers in the days ahead could turn out to be the key in determining the immediate course of the northern battles. Military sources say there has been no problem with the morale of the troops.

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