The Sri Lankan Army chief on Monday said his forces have inflicted heavy losses on Tamil Tigers and the militant outfit's capability to wage a conventional war will be wiped out within a year.
Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka said LTTE had lost 9,000 of its cadres since 2006 and the outfit was now resorting to conscription by forcibly recruiting students in the Northern region of the country.
"The LTTE will lose its conventional capability in a year. I think within a year LTTE will lose their present capability," Fonseka told foreign correspondents.
"The LTTE is using young recruits as their eyes and earsand give them no choice than to die in their positioned places as they have to inform about the army movements without moving from there," he said.
The Army claimed huge success after the liberation of East in 2007. The army also brought the Madhu Church in North-western Mannar to government's control recently.
Fonseka said the Sri Lankan army, which sends 800 of its officers to India every year for training, had perfected in the jungle warfare which had been LTTE's strong point. Fonseka said the army had almost captured North-western Mannar.
"Initially the LTTE had taken us for a good ride. We were taken by surprise. We are now fighting the Tiger militants according to a plan," Fonseka said.
