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| The Sri Lankan Army has been using its newly purchased equipment, including Buffel Armoured Personnel Carriers like the one above, to aggressively pursue its war against the Liberation Tigers |
Over the past few months the Sri Lankan security forces have been preparing for a major offensive against the LTTE in Wanni and gradually intensifying their attacks, setting the scene for an all-out war in the island’s north.
Since coming to power in November 2005, the Rajapakse administration has launched military operations, one after another, with the aim of capturing LTTE administered territories, whilst reasoning that the offensives were intended to keep LTTE from returning to war.
Whilst the international community has made periodic statements urging the government to seek a political solution to the long drawn conflict, so far no tangible pressure has been applied by the international community, including co-chairs to the peace process – Norway, US, EU and Japan, to persuade the Sri Lankan state to return to negotiations.
Emboldened by the lack of pressure, especially following the collapse of the All Party Representative Committee (APRC), the mechanism through which the western states were hoping a power sharing political solution would be derived, and continuing military support, both training and material, from India and other countries, Sri Lanka is busy preparing for an all-out war.
Comments made by Defence Secretary, Gotabhaya Rajapakse, brother of the president Mahinda Rajapakse, made it clear where the government's priorities lay when he said a political solution would be impossible without first crushing the Tigers.
However, Sri Lanka continues to make uncommitted peace overtures to the LTTE in an attempt to show its commitment to a negotiated settlement.
Speaking at a conference in New Delhi earlier this month President Rajapakse said he would respond favourably if the LTTE seeked ``negotiated and sustainable'' settlement in their two-decade-old fight for a separate homeland.
``If those who carry arms against the state are willing to enter a process of genuine negotiation toward a peaceful and democratic solution, the government and the people will reciprocate,'' Rajapakse said.
``I don't believe in a military solution and I want a political solution,'' Rajapakse added.
However last week, answering questions during a television question-answer session, Rajapakse vowed to ‘liberate’ all areas of Sri Lanka from the LTTE and destroy the organisation.
"The government will not tolerate terrorism and it would be fought until total elimination," Rajapakse added.
Few days earlier Rajapakse’s military commander, General Sarath Fonseka reflected similar sentiments when he vowed to continue the military operations against the LTTE and declared the army would "crush terrorism" to convince the rebels that the ethnic problem cannot be resolved through violence.
"The Army will crush terrorism to convince the terrorists that their problems could not be solved through terrorist acts," Fonseka said while addressing the 58th Army Day celebrations at the Army Headquarters.
He cited the army's successes "starting from the Mavilaru operation up to the liberation of Silavatturai".
"In the future too the Army would continue to march forward triumphantly,"
Fonseka further said that he expected to chase the Tigers from the north in a year, “maybe less”.
Last week saw fierce fighting in multiple fronts with the Sri Lankan military attacking LTTE positions in Muhamaalai in Jaffna, Mullikulam in Mannar and Trincomalee district.
In recent weeks the Sri Lankan Air Force has stepped up aerial bombardment of Wanni targeting densly populated areas like Viswamadhu and Puthukudiyiruppu.
In the latest attack, on Friday 19 October, five SLAF Kfir bombers dropped more than twenty four bombs in two sorties, targeting civilian settlements in Veanaavil and surrounding areas, sources in Vanni said.
Artillery barrages have also intensified with the Sri lankan army based in Jaffna peninsula, Vavuniya, Mannar and Trincomalee regularly targeting civilian settlements.
Civilian settlements in northern war-front like Mukamaalai, Naakarkoayil, Kilaali, Vadamaraadchi East, Pa'lai, Chempiyanpattu, Iyakkachchi, Maruthangkearni, Kaddaikkaadu, Vettilaikkearni and Poonakari besides Vavuniyaa and Mannar districts have been the targets of heavy artillery, mortar and Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher fire from SLA positions in the past few weeks.
On the naval front also there have been increasingly frequent skirmishes between the Sri Lankan Navy and the Sea Tigers.
