Indian Intel Warns of Tamil Insurgent Attack in Sri Lanka as New PM Takes Steps to Tackle Crisis

Sri Lanka declared an end to the 25-year civil war after killing the Tamil Tigers' leader Velupillai Prabhakaran on 18 May 2009. The rebels, formally known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), were defeated by the Sri Lankan Army when Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the current president, was defence minister.

On Sunday, Sri Lanka’s defense ministry confirmed the intelligence input suggesting a planned attack by former cadres of the now-defunct LTTE on the Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day on 18 May — the day the armed wing of the ethnic Tamil movement defeated after 25 years of resistance.

“The said information (alert about attack) and all information received by the intelligence and security forces in connection with national security will be duly investigated and all further steps are taken to strengthen security while informing the respective security forces on the same,” a statement issued by the defence ministry read.

The Hindu reported that the police of the bordering Indian state of Tamil Nadu put local officials on alert as it suspects a possible influx of the former LTTE cadres into India amid anger against the Gotabaya Rajapaksa government over an unprecedented economic crisis.

The Indian police have detained over 70 people from Sri Lanka following their arrival in the coastal state of Tamil Nadu using fishing boats since protests triggered over shortages of essential items in the island nation erupted.

The Tamil Nadu Coastal police and Indian Coast Guard have also asked fishing communities to be vigilant regarding any suspicious movements from the Sri Lankan side.

The reports about the regrouping bid of the Tamil insurgency gained momentum in the past few months following the arrest of former LTTE cadres in Tamil Nadu. LTTE cadres had a presence in several countries; however, they have remained inactive since the killing of the group's founder Velupillai Prabhakaran in 2009.

India’s central and state intelligence agencies feared that inactive Tamil Tigers workers might seize the opportunity to revive the insurgency in the south Asian nation.

Tamil rebels had control over a vast swathe of the north and much of the island nation's east.

Meanwhile, newly-appointed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has named a committee to ensure protection for the "Gota Go Gama" protest site. The anti-government protesters came under attack allegedly from the government's supporters on 9 May, leaving nine dead and over 230 injured.

Protesters remain adamant about their demand to remove Gotabaya Rajapaksa and restore the supremacy of the parliament.

The political crisis erupted in Sri Lanka following weeks of shortages of essential items as the island nation lacks funds to import commodities. President Gotabaya announced a State of Emergency last month to deal with the protests. Sri Lanka has over $51 billion in debt, primarily to China, Japan, and India, including multi-lateral institutions.