According to local reports, the fights between Sri Lankan
military and Tamil Tiger rebels seem to have intensified over the past weeks,
especially in the northern parts were they have seeded fear in civilians.
The Sri Lankan
military and Tamil Tiger rebels seem to be gearing up for a major confrontation
in the north of the country, stoking fears of more civilian casualties and
displacement.
Despite losing territory in the east earlier this year, the
rebels still control a vast swathe of land in the north of the island.
Although sporadic fighting has been going on for months, the
intensity of the clashes has recently increased.
Fighting is currently taking place around Mannar, Vavuniya,
Weli Oya and Jaffna - all areas
which surround rebel-held territory. There are intermittent battles at sea as
well.
The pattern is clear. Both sides exchange heavy artillery
fire in the Forward Defense Lines (FDL’s), separating their forces. Heavy aerial
bombardment is followed by military incursions.
The government claims that at least 280 rebels have been
killed since September and more than 20 soldiers have been killed in various
battles over the same period.
But the claims of both sides in relation to casualties and
what exactly has happened on the battle front can rarely, if ever, be
independently confirmed.
For its part, the government has denied starting any
offensives.
Earlier attempts by the military to capture the rebel
stronghold in Vanni have ended in disaster. But buoyed by recent victories in
the east, the army is now confident of recapturing territory in the north as
well.
Tamil rebels are also gearing up for a major battle. There
are already reports of the rebels establishing a three-layered defensive
infrastructure inside Vanni region. Troops are likely to suffer casualties
while trying to penetrate these heavily fortified defense lines.
But the Sri Lankan military claims to have had several
morale-boosting successes in recent weeks. They claim that many rebel ships
carrying arms have been destroyed recently in the open sea.
