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THE OBSERVER

The Oldest English Newspaper in South Asia
Founded 4.2.1834
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35, D.R. Wijewardene Mawatha,
Colombo 10, Sri Lanka.
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Oddusuddan today, tomorrow...?

The way LTTE technical chief Colonel Shankar was killed can only point to two possible sources of attack. Only the Army, or, the LTTE itself, has the capacity to launch this attack in a location in the heart of the Tiger fastness of the Vanni.

The location is such that access is nigh impossible for non-LTTE, external forces to penetrate unless they have specialised units, trained in jungle warfare and extended jungle survival, that have been equipped with a good knowledge of the specific territory. The Army’s ‘Special Forces’ commando units not only have such training, but also an accumulated experience. In fact they are among a very few State forces in the world with this degree of jungle warfare experience. Only the LTTE and other Eelamist militant groups are more experienced in fighting in the Sri Lankan jungles. In fact it is possible that the EPDP or other anti-LTTE militia helped the Army in this operation in terms of advance intelligence and as ‘trackers’.

If the assassination of Shankar is the work of a Special Forces deep penetration commando, then it must be notched up as a brilliant military success for the Army.

With the Army’s denial, attention must turn to the other possibility - that it is an assassination by a shadowy dissident faction within the LTTE itself. Given the fact that the weapon used was an improvised claymore mine, first developed here and most used by Eelamist militant groups, this is equally likely. Then, in the light of previous similar assassinations and assassination attempts in recent months, it means that there clearly is an intense power struggle within the LTTE.

How any of this bloodshed will help resolve the conflict is as equal a mystery as the identity of the attackers. How many more assassinations - on either side - are to come? Just as much as the Army can reach Oddusuddan, the LTTE too can reach Colombo.

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