Lankan navy, LTTE clash at Kalpitiya sea

Colombo, June 28 (UNI) A cluster of Sea Tiger flotilla today mounted an attack on two naval boats in Kalpitiya sea off Mannar island, prompting the navy to call for assistance from the Sri Lankan Air Force, military sources here said.

''This morning the Sea Tigers mounted an attack on two In-shore Patrol Vessel on a routine patrol at Kalpitiya sea. The air force assistance has been called in. The fighting still continues and we are waiting for details,'' Government spokesman on Defence Matters and Minister of Plan Implementation, Keheliya Rambukwella told reporters here.

The LTTE's fresh attack on the Navy has come at a time when the country's security has been beefed up ahead of the funeral of Sri Lanka's Army Deputy Chief of Staff, Lt Gen Parami Kulatunga, who was killed in a suspected LTTE suicide attack on the outskirts of Colombo on Monday.

The funeral of the late Army Deputy Chief of Staff will take place in Colombo tomorrow with full military honours.

Military spokesman, Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe said that the government has reactivated six main key road-blocks to keep thorough checks on all vehicles coming into the South from the restive North-East, as it was before the signing of the Norwegian-brokered ceasefire agreement.

''These check points have been reactivated for 24-hours since yesterday and all vehicles leading in will come under thorough check,'' Brigadier Samarasinghe said, adding that the security arrangements in the country will be changed based on the tactics adopted by the LTTE.

Meanwhile, Police spokesman, SSP, Rienzie Perera appealed to the general public to be ''vigilant and alert on the suspicious movements of unknown persons'' in their neighbourhood and to inform the emergency service of the police, if they find anything or anybody suspicious.

He equally urged the public ''to be aware of rumours of bomb scare''. Some leading schools were targeted in and out of Colombo, which he said had resulted in creating a panic wave among the student community as well as parents this morning resulting in closure of a couple of schools in Colombo.

''These types of rumours are doing the round since the past two weeks. We earnestly request the public not to create a panic situation based on mere rumours. We are probing the elements behind this campaign,'' SSP Perera told reporters.

UNI XC SHB DS1556