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| Sri Lanka |
| LTTE low on ammo, will tap reserves in India, SL Navy attempts to interdict |
| 2007-09-25 |
| The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels in Sri Lanka, running short of ammunition, particularly heavy calibre artillery and mortars, will try to tap the supplies from their "South Indian hideouts," a media report said on Monday. "As Tigers experience what the military believes is the worst shortage of ammunition, particularly heavy calibre artillery and mortars, the Sri Lankan navy is stepping up its efforts to prevent them from bringing in fresh supplies to the Mannar mainland," The Island Newspaper quoted official sources as saying. The official claimed that the "enemy (LTTE) would now try to bring in whatever supplies available in their South Indian hideouts," it reported. "The Sri Lankan navy's task has been reasonably made easier after the recent capture of the Sillavaturai area, south of the Mannar Island. Now the rebels are left with approximately the 22 nautical mile Vidattaltivu and Pooneryn road stretch north of the Mannar Island," the daily quoted the unnamed official as saying. Putting the squeeze on them. The official said the primary task of the Sri Lankan navy and the Indian Coast Guard would be to deny the LTTE freedom of movement in the Gulf of Mannar. And in another report about the big rebel arms shipment they sent to the bottom recently, the Navy said it "was acting on credible information received about ships ranging from 45 to 75 meters in length coming from southeastern direction into Sri Lanka." I wonder who could have slipped them this information? The SLN has been doing tons better lately against the rebels, interdicting their supply and as a result the army is doing much better on the ground. Any naval types want to take a stab at answering this? |
| Posted by:gromky |
| #5 India established a new coast guard base on its south east coast a year or two back. I'd even venture that the cooperative group established to fight piracy in the region might have have had some input. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2007-09-25 22:35 |
| #4 Keep it up! |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2007-09-25 16:08 |
| #3 India is installing new radar systems along its coast and beefing up its Coast Guard |
| Posted by: john frum 2007-09-25 15:33 |
| #2 Ah, maybe that was it. They knew the three cargo ships were far offshore, near Indonesia. They formed a task force and sailed off into the vicinity before starting a search (and quickly finding). Map of the chase. And here's some video of the 3 ships getting filled full of holes at close range by SILN vessels. |
| Posted by: gromky 2007-09-25 14:55 |
| #1 Perhaps the recent joint Indian -US exercises and shared intelligence wargames paid off in other, not so direct ways? Willing to bet that E-2 Hummer cross trainnig was in play ( radar able to track many targets from take off ( aircraft) to also clearing the harbor) |
| Posted by: USN, Ret. 2007-09-25 14:18 |