An Independent and Interactive Tamil Community Web Site

18-09-2006

LTTE weapons ship destroyed at mid sea

Ananth Palakidnar

Colombo: The Navy assisted by the Air Force yesterday destroyed a suspected arms ship in the waters off Kalmunai.

Air Force fighter jets and the naval gun boats destroyed the ship following a gun battle lasting several hours 120 nautical miles east of Kalmunai according to the Navy.

Navy Spokesman Commander D.K.P Dassanayake told the Daily News that the Navy craft were fired at with heavy machine guns from the vessel.

The Navy believed that around 15 LTTE cadres were on board the vessel and that a large haul of arms and ammunition including missiles were being transported to an unknown destination in the East.

According to Commander Dassanayake a naval patrol craft had spotted a ship minus a flag at a distance of 120 nautical miles east of Kalmunai at 7.40 am yesterday.

The suspicious ship was challenged by the officers in the naval patrol craft to disclose its identity. But the vessel ignored the order.

The Navy repeated its call for the second time that the vessel identifies itself but met with no response.

The Navy had no alternative but to fire warning shots at the suspicious vessel. When it did so the vessel started fleeing from the area, Commander Dassanayake said. “Later with aerial support of the Air Force and the reinforcements of other naval vessels the suspicious ship was engaged at the mid sea.”

Commander Dassanayake said machine gun fire was directed from the ship at the naval craft which had surrounded it.

The Air Force fighter jets and the naval craft after engaging the ship for several hours partially crippled it first and later destroyed it. He also said that the vessel was believed to be carrying the lethal cargo for the LTTE which has suffered severe setbacks in the recent confrontations.

The port from where the ship had set sail, its cargo, its destination are being probed by the Navy.

Meanwhile, Laksman Hulugalla, Director General, Media Centre for National Security in a media release states: Large quantities of weapons and ammunition including artillery guns had submerged with the vessel.

It is now confirmed that the vessel had illegally carried weapons and ammunition for the LTTE.

The LTTE’s continuous attempts to acquire weapons and ammunition during the past failed due to measures taken by foreign countries. This incident is a clear indication that the LTTE has not stopped their attempts in procuring arms and ammunition to further their terrorist activities.

This incident clearly indicates the motives of some organizations that are seeking to protect the LTTE following their humiliating defeats in the Northern and the Eastern regions.

This is yet another attempt of the LTTE at hoodwinking the International Community.

The LTTE has opted for peace talks every time when they were weakened by the Security Forces.

This is a clear instance that proves that the LTTE is buying time to procure arms and strengthen themselves. Through these acts it is not difficult to realize the ulterior motives of the LTTE.

However, the successful operation carried out by the Security Forces to destroy this vessel is a great victory to the Government.

The sinking of this vessel comes at a time when the LTTE has suffered humiliating defeats against the Security Forces.

It is well known that the LTTE is trying to create a ceasefire to strengthen themselves and procure arms for future attacks.

Source-Daily News