LTTE USE OF LANDMINES TAKES ITS TOLL

UNCLAS COLOMBO 000673

DEPT FOR SA/INS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PARM MCAP PGOV PTER CE
SUBJECT: LTTE USE OF LANDMINES TAKES ITS TOLL

REF: 96 COLOMBO 3209


1. SUMMARY: DURING THE PAST EIGHT MONTHS, OVER 225
PERSONS--SOME MILITARY, MANY CIVILIAN--HAVE
REPORTEDLY FALLEN VICTIM TO LANDMINES LAID BY THE
INSURGENT LIBERATION TIGERS OF TAMIL EELAM (LTTE) IN
THE WAR-AFFLICTED NORTH AND EAST. INCIDENTS THIS
YEAR ALONE HAVE KILLED AT LEAST 16 CIVILIANS AND
WOUNDED 12. THE LAYING OF LANDMINES--BY BOTH THE
LTTE AND THE GOVERNMENT--HAS BEEN COMMON IN THE
FOURTEEN-YEAR-OLD INSURGENCY. UNTIL THE INSURGENCY
IS RESOLVED, RESTRAINT IN THEIR USE IS UNLIKELY.
END COMMENT.


2. RECENT PRESS REPORTS STATE THAT DURING THE PAST
EIGHT MONTHS, OVER 225 PERSONS--SOME MILITARY, MANY
CIVILIAN--HAVE BEEN KILLED BY LANDMINES LAID BY THE
INSURGENT LIBERATION TIGERS OF TAMIL EELAM (LTTE) IN
JAFFNA AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WAR-TORN NORTH AND
EAST. IN A RECENT INCIDENT IN LATE JANUARY, THE
LTTE ON THE JAFFNA PENINSULA BLASTED CLAYMORE MINES
ON TWO OCCASIONS WITHIN CLOSE PROXIMITY OF EACH
OTHER, KILLING NINE CIVILIANS AND ONE SOLDIER. FIVE
OF THE CIVILIANS WERE WOMEN. SIX CIVILIANS AND TWO
SOLDIERS WERE ALSO WOUNDED. THE BLASTS OCCURRED ON
THE PONNALAI CAUSEWAY CONNECTING JAFFNA AND
KARAITHIVU ISLAND AS TROOPS CONDUCTED A ROUTINE
ROUTE-CLEARING OPERATION.


3. ON JANUARY 28, SIX CIVILIANS WERE KILLED AND
FIVE INJURED WHEN A VAN IN WHICH THEY WERE TRAVELING
RAN OVER A LANDMINE AT KUDAPOKUNA IN WELIKANDA IN
EASTERN PROVINCE. THE ARMY HAS FORCED TO CARRY OUT
ROUTE-CLEARING OPERATIONS BEFORE REACHING THE AREA
AS THEY FEARED THE LTTE MIGHT HAVE PLANTED
ADDITIONAL EXPLOSIVES. MEANWHILE ONE SOLDIER HAS
KILLED AND THREE INJURED WHEN THEIR TRUCK HIT A
LANDMINE ON THE SAME DAY. ON JANUARY 26, A DEFENSE
MINISTRY PRESS RELEASE SAID THAT A CIVILIAN HAS
KILLED AND ANOTHER INJURED WHEN A TRACTOR HAS
DESTROYED IN A LANDMINE BLAST AT PETHALAI IN
BATTICALOA DISTRICT OF THE EAST.


4. ON JANUARY 18, THE TIGERS SPREAD MINES AFTER A
PRE-DAWN ATTACK ON KANUGAHAWEWA POLICE POST AT
KEBITHIGOLLEWA IN ANURADHAPURA DISTRICT. TWENTY
THREE POLICE PERSONNEL WERE KILLED AND 20 OTHERS
WERE WOUNDED IN THE ATTACK, SOME REPORTEDLY BY THE
MINES. ONE AMBULANCE HAS DESTROYED WHEN A MINE
EXPLODED. ON FEBRUARY 10, TWO SOLDIERS AND THREE
TERRORISTS WERE KILLED IN A CONFRONTATION AT PUTTUR
IN THE JAFFNA DISTRICT. MILITARY SOURCES SAID
TERRORISTS HAD ACTIVATED A CLAYMORE MINE WHEN TROOPS
WERE RETURNING AFTER CONDUCTING AN OPERATION. ON
JANUARY 12, EIGHT SOLDIERS WERE KILLED AND ANOTHER
TEN WERE WOUNDED IN A LANDMINE EXPLOSION AT KACHCHAI
IN JAFFNA. THE ARMY TRACTOR ON WHICH THE TROOPS
WERE TRAVELING WAS CAUGHT IN THE LANDMINE BLAST.


5. COMMENT: THE LAYING OF LANDMINES--BY BOTH THE
LTTE AND THE GOVERNMENT--HAS BEEN COMMON IN THE
FOURTEEN-YEAR-OLD CIVIL WAR. CIVILIAN CASUALTIES,
THOUGH NOT REGULARLY NOTED IN THE PRESS, MOUNT.
UNTIL THE INSURGENCY IS RESOLVED, RESTRAINT IN
LANDMINE USE IS UNLIKELY. END COMMENT.

BURLEIGH