[April 07, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian] Was it really his dream? Or was he really the monster chosen to seek the realization of such a dream the day he shot Jaffna’s Mayor Alfred Durayappah July 1975? For 34 long years he has ravaged the Tamil community in Sri Lanka, devastated the country with a kind of brutal terrorism that will go down in human history as one of the worst kinds placing this smuggler guy in the gallery of tyrants. Even in his last act, he threatened to sacrifice the lives of 200,000 civilians from Wanni he terror-ruled for nearly fifteen years virtually destroying this community of its young people and children he forced into his military service with utter brutality and converting an agricultural region into war grounds of bunkers, parade grounds, arsenals, luxury bungalows for the leaders with unbelievable amenities and torture chambers and prisons.
All these he was able to do with the kind of incredible funds poured into his treasury by the pro-LTTE Tamil Diaspora who in the process had also developed a spirit of intolerable violence wherever they have made their new homes.
Reports are pouring in that the 58th and Task Force 8 attached to the 53rd has virtually encircled the remnants of the LTTE in the north-east of Puthukudiyiruppu (PTK) and large numbers of them have been killed. It is believed over 420 bodies of the LTTE cadres have been collected during the clearing operations.
However, 70 cadres surrendered when a chance to lay down the arms and walk out. This was reminiscent of how the Iraqi soldiers did in 1991 when the Gulf War petered put. The LTTE or what little is left of it could not send a rescue force since the Armed Forces had virtually taken control of the borders of the No Fire Zone (NFZ). Whatever attempt that may have been made was totally neutralized.
The Sri Lanka Air Force using with precision the recently acquired laser guided A2S missiles excellently supported by the ground forces and the entire activity was virtual annihilation of the cream of Prabhakaran’s forces. Among those who fell were the self-styled Colonel Vidusha, Commander of the Malathi Brigade, Colonel Theepan and high rankers Nagesh, Duruga and Gadaffi along with several middle rung leaders. An MI team from Colombo is rushing to Wanni to identify the dead bodies.
As a consequence to this development, a massive exodus of freed civilians from the NFZ is expected to flee into the freed areas under the control of the armed forces. A UNHCR delegation is already in Sri Lanka and their mission is to observe the civilian exodus and ensure their welfare needs are met.
If the LTTE holds the civilians any longer, they are making it worse for themselves as it would give the SLA more time to annihilate the remaining cadres but if they flee along with the civilians, they will be picked up and sent to rehabilitation. A number of SLA infantrymen and SF soldiers have laid down their lives in the past few days of fighting.-Sri Lanka Guardian
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