Colombo: Notwithstanding the LTTE's deadly raid on Anuradhapura air base in Sri Lanka, a leading defence-related website has predicted a "bad year" in 2008 for the rebels, who are facing a shortage of manpower and funds.

"The way things are going, 2008 is going to be a very bad year for the LTTE", the Strategy Page said in its analysis.

In the North, there have been over a thousand casualties, most of them Tamil Tigers, so far this month, it said, adding the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam have a lot of young, poorly trained, fighters on the frontline.

"These LTTE forces are chewed up pretty bad by the government troops, who have the benefit of air power and artillery", the website said in a special report.

On government's preparations for the battle ahead, the Pro-LTTE website Tamilnet has claimed that more than 1500 Sri Lanka Navy and Army troopers participated in a war exercise in northern part of the country.

This exercise took place along northern seas and land from Katkoava lam to Manatkaadu for three days ending yesterday morning, it said quoting sources in Jaffna.

Meanwhile, the Strategy Page said not much is heard from LTTE artillery largely because the supply of shells has been cut off.

"What artillery ammo they do have, is stockpiled for special operations".

The LTTE, it said, is running short of manpower, because of combat casualties, and facing economic problems (lack of income and food) and that about 10 per cent of LTTE fighters were killed or wounded, or took sick in December.

Source : PTI