Lankan navy, Sea Tigers locked in major sea battle in Jaffna

Colombo, Jan 21 (UNI) A major sea battle erupted in the sea off Northern Jaffna peninsula when Sri Lankan Navy confronted a flotilla of Sea Tiger boats, heading to attack a merchant vessel, top naval sources said.

According to the sources, the Dvora-class naval fast attack crafts on routine patrol have detected two flotillas of Sea Tiger boats heading from the LTTE-held Vettilaikerni area towards the Point Pedro jetty where the merchant vessel MV Liverpool was just seaborne after unloading several tons of flour for the people in the Northern Jaffna peninsula.

As of now at least one Sea Tiger suicide-boat laden with high explosives has been destroyed due to navy fire. The fighting that erupted around 1545 hrs is still continuing, the naval official said.

The group troops and an air force gunship helicopters were assisting the navy in the fight against the Sea Tigers at the moment, he added.

Meanwhile, Defence Ministry in a statement this evening said that the government forces, which captured the rebel-stronghold of Vakarai on Friday have captured more rebel-held areas including the strategic town of Verugal.

Many LTTE camps operating in the area have been captured by the security forces. The advancing troops have observed 22 dead bodies of terrorists killed in action scattered in the area, the statement said adding that the troops were now consolidating and de-mining the newly captured areas.

UNI