March 2, 2007:
Army troops in the northern port of Trincomalee, which
has been surrounded by LTTE forces for years, are breaking the siege. Soldiers
have captured over a dozen LTTE bases outside the city, and driven back LTTE
troops. At sea, several days of battles with LTTE smuggling ships has left the
rebels without the needed supplies. The air force is getting better at finding
LTTE artillery positions, and destroying them with bombs. The army is seeing
more LTTE fighters sneaking away from their units and surrendering.
March 1, 2007: Sri Lanka found a way to gain Australian support, and a
ban on the LTTE. This was accomplished by Sri Lankan officials openly asking
for the return of Sri Lankans who were caught trying to enter Australia
illegally, claiming to be political refugees. The Sri Lankan government pointed
out the obvious, that the refugees could have gone to India much more easily,
but instead raised thousands of dollars to hire people smugglers to get them
into Australia. Normally, nations these economic refugees are coming from don't
like to publicly discuss the economic angle. But Australia appreciated the
assist, and the LTTE operations in Australia (which often verge on extortion,
or worse) are now in danger. One of the rackets was people smuggling, as the
LTTE is apparently involved in taking up to $10,000 per person to smuggle Tamil
Sri Lankans into Australia.
February 28, 2007: An LTTE cargo ship, carrying over 10,000 artillery
and mortar shells, was sunk by the navy, off the north coast. Elsewhere in the area,
two smaller LTTE ships were sunk.
February 27, 2007: LTTE artillery shells fell on a group of foreign
diplomats visiting recently captured LTTE areas in eastern Sri Lanka. The
Italian ambassador was wounded, as were ten other people. The UN condemned the
attack, and the LTTE lost more ground on the diplomatic front. The attack may
have been an accident, but the damage to the LTTE is done either way.
February 26, 2007: LTTE supplies from southern India are being intercepted
more frequently by the navy, and stopped at the source more often by Indian
police and coast guard. This has led to an LTTE threat to resume assassination
attacks (using suicide bombers) against Indian officials. In the last two
decades, such attacks have killed many senior Indian leaders, including one
prime minister. India apparently believes the LTTE is on the way out, because
the assassination threats are being ignored.
February 25, 2007: Three LTTE bases in the northeast have been captured, as
the LTTE forces showed continued weakness from lack of supplies, and declining
morale.