Lanka govt condemns LTTE air attack

Colombo, Mar 26 (UNI) The Sri Lankan government today 'vehemently condemned' the LTTE air attack on the Air Force base at Katunayake shortly after midnight last that left at least three air force personnel killed and 16 others injured.

''The Government vehemently condemns the cowardly attempt to attack the Katunayake Air Force Camp in the aftermath of major defeats suffered by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the North and East,'' the government said in a statement, adding that the LTTEs attack has failed to achieve its objective of destroying fighter aircraft at the base.

'' A light aircraft dropped three bombs at the hangers of the Engineering section of the airbase and two of them exploded while the third bomb failed to explode.

''The attack occurred at 1245 am today and the Air Force defence system was immediately activated, preventing the enemy plane from making further attempts,'' the statement added.

Claiming that neither the fighter aircraft at the hangers of the Air Force Camp nor the runaway was damaged, the statement said the adjoining Bandaranaike International Airport was functioning operations for all incoming and outgoing flights, as scheduled.

'' It is the common practice of terrorist organisations to resort to cowardly attacks and cause maximum damage in the face of defeats in the battlefront. Such attempts to disrupt civilian life in the face of humiliating defeat could continue and the forces have been placed on full alert,'' the government release said, reiterating its determination to face any challenge in its fight against terrorism while appealing to all sections of the Sri Lankan society to extend total cooperation in this national endeavour.

Katunayake Air Force base is the home for the Israeli-built Kfir and Russian-built Mig-27 ground attack jets of the Sri Lankan Air Force.

The LTTE's military spokesperson, Rasaiah Ilanthiraiyan was quoted on the pro-LTTE Tamilnet website saying that ''two attack air-crafts belonging to the Liberation Tigers carried out the bombing raids at the Sri Lanka Air Force airbase at Katunayake at 12.45 midnight yesterday and returned safely to Vanni''.

''The targets for the air attack were the hangers where SLAF's Kfir and MiG aircrafts were parked,'' the LTTE spokesperson said, adding that other Sri Lankan military installations would also be targets of future rebel attacks.

Residents living close to the Katunayake airport said they heard at least four loud explosions and intense gunfire for about 15 minutes.

In July 2001, the LTTE suicide cadres carried out an attack on the Sri Lankan Air Force base and the adjoining international airport in July 2001, causing heavy damage to air force planes and national carriers.

During the past few months, Sri Lankan Air Force jets have been hitting several LTTE targets in the rebel-held areas in the North and East frequently, causing heavy damages to man and materials to the rebels.

UNI

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