September18, 2008:
Troops are now within five kilometers
of Kilinochchi, the LTTE "capital." The air force is now bombing more
key LTTE targets, now more easily identified because of increased army patrols
and a smaller LTTE controlled territory. This is creating more refugees, with
over 250,000 Tamils forced from their homes by the fighting. Many of these
people are able to return home once the fighting has moved on, which is
happening more often as the pace of the advance increases (with troops
advancing several kilometers on some days.) Still, the military does not expect
to finally destroy the LTTE in the north until the end of the year. The army is
trying to keep casualties down, and that means advancing carefully and
methodically. The LTTE still has hundreds of highly trained and motivated
operatives who can be used in surprise attacks.
September
17, 2008: The Indian navy has increased
patrols in the Palk Straits, the narrowest (64 kilometers) waters separating
India from Sri Lanka. The LTTE have been
trying to move their wounded across to India for medical treatment. In northern
Sri Lanka, many LTTE medical facilities have been captured or damaged in the
fighting.
September
16, 2008: A bomb went off in a bus in
the capital, wounding four people. Most passengers had fled the bus, after the
suspicious parcel was spotted. The LTTE was suspected. Thousands of Tamil
refugees have been coming to the capital each month, and the government
believes the LTTE has been using this movement to infiltrate terrorists into
the capital.
September 11,
2008: The government has ordered the UN
and other aid organizations out of the LTTE controlled areas of the north,
because it is too dangerous. These aid groups employ 1,500 people in LTTE
territory and control large fuel, food and other supplies. The government
accuses the aid groups of helping prop up the LTTE, and even allowing the LTTE
to use aid workers for supporting rebel operations. The government found
similar patterns of behavior in eastern Sri Lanka, after the LTTE had been
defeated there in early 2007.
September 9,
2008: An LTTE commando and air attack on
a forward air base failed when army commandos spotted the LTTE team sneaking in
and destroyed the LTTE force. One of the two attacking LTTE single engine
aircraft was shot down and the other turned back by anti-aircraft fire. LTTE
artillery fired on the airfield, using up what few shells they have left.