LTTE, Maoists working together in India- Indian intelligence



VISAKHAPATNAM: Indian Union home minister P. Chidambaram`s assertion that Naxalites are acquiring arms from abroad is only the tip of the iceberg, as central intelligence agencies have found fresh evidence of joint training camps and meetings conducted by the Red guerrillas with Tamil Tigers in the forests of south and central India.

Does it indicate that Maoists are getting logistic support and training from LTTE? Are the Maoists and the Tamil Tigers brothers in arms? If intelligence documents are to be believed, the answer is yes. Sources said the country`s top intelligence wing has acquired some key information about the dangerous alliance between the Maoists and the Tigers.

In fact, the central intelligence top brass has warned the states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh and Orissa on the alleged intrusion of the Tamil Tigers into Indian territorial waters. According to sources, a well-trained 12-member group of Tamil Tigers has recently sneaked into India to join hands with the Maoists. They entered north coastal Andhra via Kerala after splitting into three groups, one of which is suspected to have found a safe haven in Vizianagaram area, sources said. This comes close on the heels of an intelligence alert to the coastal states on the East Coast about a possible LTTE cadre intrusion.

But what is bothering the security agencies is the prowess of Tamil Tigers in triggering explosives and suicide bombing. Imagine the expertise of Tigers coupled with the Maoists jungle warfare. It will be a deadly combination for the security agencies to tackle with, analysts said.

Will the Maoists stand to gain? Of course, the Tigers have made sizable gains in guerrilla warfare fighting Lankan forces and they would pass on the expertise to the Maoists, a security analyst said. Security wings suspect that the Maoists could take the help of Tamil Tigers to prepare them to defend the all-out central forces` attack codenamed Operation Green Hunt on Abujmad, their strategic base and stronghold in the Dandakaranya in Chhattisgarh. With Chidambaram insisting that the operation is aimed at defeating the top Maoist leadership, sources said the focus is on to nab or kill Andhra Maoist leaders, who constitute 80% of Maoist top brass.

It will be again Andhra commandoes versus top Maoist leaders in Abujmad as and when the central forces corner the area. So, the chances of Maoists relying on Tigers cannot be ruled out, a source said.

Sources also said the Maoists could take the help of LTTE rebels for training their military wing, People`s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA).

Analysts said LTTE game plan is double-edged. On one hand, it would help the Maoists to take on Indian forces, while on the other it would try to regain the lost ground in Sri Lanka by making South India their new base to fight the Lankan forces in the northern parts of the island nation. (Times of India)