Maoists, LTTE links revive in Andhra Pradesh

Hyderabad, May 27 (UNI) Ever since the increase in the hostilities in Sri Lanka and continuous reverses being suffered by the LTTE since the beginning of January 2007, the bonds between Maoists and the LTTE leadership are being cemented further with the LTTE leadership looking upto the Maoists for safe shelter and passage and medical supplies and treatment.

According to higly placed sources here, the CPI (Maoist) party had extended their support to the LTTE cadres in the establishment of the bases in North Andhra. North Andhra was earlier used as safe hideout till the arrest of considerable numbers of LTTE cadres in 2004 and since then there had been a lull in their activities in the region.

However, since 2007, the LTTE again started probing into North Andhra with the active help of the Maoists.

The coastline and lack of monitoring on their movements made it easy for the LTTE cadres to take up North Andhra as a safe haven.

The Maoists on their part were looking upto the LTTE for their expertise in the manufacture of the advanced weapons and also production centres in knowledge and in use by the LTTE.

The LTTE has been using the various Industrial units located in Tamil Nadu secretly without the knowledge of the Manufacturers for the production of the key components of its Rockets, Grenades, Mortars and home made missiles which were reassembled in their bases in Jaffna.

The same system was adopted by the Maoists who again used the industrial units in TN for making the components used in the rockets which were unearthed by the police.

As part of strengthening their friendship, the Maoists also decided to observe the Rajiv Gandhi's assassination day on May 21 as 'Anti State Repression Day' and also gave a call for Bandh in Andhra Orissa Border area on the said date.

Its bandh call has raised many questions about the 'unholy' nexus between Maoists and LTTE.

Of late there has been growing anti LTTE operations in Tamil Nadu making it risky for the LTTE cadres on treatment and shelter for a safe stay.

There has been serious restrictions on the supply of the medicines to the frontlines as the agencies are monitoring the movement and purchases of the commonly used medicines and many a times there had been arrests of the militants for transporting the medicines in Tamil Nadu.

In this backdrop, the LTTE had sought the safe refuge of North Andhra coastal line for their hideouts and also as a procurement centre for medicines, the sources explained.

UNI