50 combatants killed in sea battle in Sri Lanka

Colombo, Nov 10: At least 50 combatants from both the Sri Lankan navy and the Tamil Tiger rebels feared killed in a fierce sea battle between the two sides in the northern sea waters last evening, pushing the island nation further towards a full-scale civil war.

According to military sources, the fears battle was triggered off in the seas off Vettilaikerny in the Northern Jaffna peninsula, when a flotilla of at least 16 Sea Tiger boats, including a couple of suicide boats, confronted with the fast attack craft of the Sri Lankan navy while they were providing escort to a passenger ship 'Green Ocean', carrying over 300 stranded civilians to from Trincomalee to Kankesanthurai.

''The navy has destroyed at least eight LTTE boats and it is believed that at least 25-30 Sea Tiger cadres have been killed,'' the military sources said.

Top naval sources said that the navy has also lost two Dvora fast attack crafts during the battle that has last for over two hours.

''Four sailors have survived and were rescued while the search operation to rescue the missing sailors after the battle,'' naval official said, confirming that the passenger ship was safely on its way to the Kankesanthurai harbour.

Meanwhile, the Tamil Tiger rebels have said that the fresh clash with the Sri Lankan navy has left at least 25 Sri Lankan troopers and five Sea Tigers getting killed.

''A Sea Tiger flotilla clashed with Sri Lanka Navy in the Northern waters killing 25 SLN troopers, capturing 4 troopers alive and destroying two Dvora Fast Attack Crafts,'' a pro-LTTE Tamilnet website reported quoting LTTE's Military Spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan as saying.

According the LTTE spokesman, the Sea Tigers had seized two fast attack crafts of the Sri Lankan navy and dismantled all the armament including a 23 mm canon and an AGL gun before destroying them.

Claiming that a 23 mm Canon, five PK-LMGs, four 50 calibre guns and an auto HK grenade launcher with ammunition were seized by the Sea Tigers, the LTTE spokesman has said that a dead body of a naval sailor was recovered by the rebels and was taken to the Wanni.

UNI

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