India has placed its military squads in the southern states on high alert following the attack by an LTTE light aircraft on Colombo.
Though India has placed its air survelliance and missile squads in the southern states on high alert on Saturday following Friday night's attack by an LTTE light aircraft on Colombo, this is more or less a routine security measure.
There is little danger of a Tiger assault on any Indian city and has more to do with helping spot another attempt at attacking the Sri Lankan capital. The coast guard and the navy have also stepped up its patrolling along the coast of southern states.
The attack by the LTTE on Colombo did very little actual damage besides helping to boost the sagging morale of the Tiger cadres fighting the advancing government forces in the dense Mullaitivu jungles. But it is a last ditch attempt by the Tigers to tell the world that it may be down but not out.
The attack, however, is again a case of the Sri Lankan airforce being taken by surprise. Though the planes were detected as they flew over Mannar, in the northern province, the airforce were unable to scramble and intercept them before they reached Colombo.
The light aircraft on a suicide mission could have rammed into the president's home or got its target at the airforce headquarters. The airforce needs to answer some simple questions about its failure to intercept the LTTE planes.
When the Tigers are not in a position to do any significant harm in Colombo, there is very little chance of them trying to take on India, especially as the LTTE now realises that its worst mistake during its 23-years of armed struggle was to get India's back up by assassinating former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.
Without India's moral and diplomatic support, the LTTE has been steadily losing ground to a resurgent and better equipped Sinhala army. While New Delhi, with an eye to Tamil Nadu's sentiment never supplied military hardware to Colombo, the Indian navy has closely monitored LTTE movements along international waters between India and northern Sri Lanka.
New Delhi and Colombo have recently had excellent political understanding.
The pro-LTTE website hailed the attacks, though one of the airplanes was shot down. The other slammed into the main government tax office in central Colombo, killing at least two people and wounding 53.
The picture of two pilots on a suicide mission posing with the Tiger chief has also been released.
What is not known is when the photograph was taken.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}