Sri Lanka Navy mounts massive attack on Tamil boats, sinks 12
Dated 1/9/2006
Printer Friendly
Subscribe
Sri Lanka's navy sank 12 LTTE craft overnight in a fierce naval battle off the island's northern tip. Military spokesperson revealed that it believed dozens of Tamils were also killed.
"It was a major attack. There were 20 rebel boats. We were able to destroy 12 LTTE craft, including five LTTE suicide boats," a military spokesman told Reuters. "They were humiliated in their so-called seas and withdrew."
He said he believed at least 75 Tigers were killed, but there was no independent confirmation.
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were not immediately available for comment on the clash at sea near the besieged army-held Jaffna peninsula, which comes amid a five-week bout of renewed civil war after four years of ceasefire.
The military spokesman said two sailors were injured and two navy fast attack boats were slightly damaged by gunfire in the battle, which raged through the night and into the early hours of Saturday.
He believed the Tiger flotilla had been seeking to attack a northern naval base at Kankasanturai (KKS) on the Jaffna peninsula -- which is cut off from the rest of the island by rebel lines and where there are severe food shortages.
"I feel like they were doing something to disrupt KKS to damage supply lines to the north," he said.
