LTTE bombs Palaly air base, military denies

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

Colombo, Apr 24: The Tamil Tiger rebels have claimed that two of their light wing air craft have carried out an air strike on Palaly military base in the northern Jaffna peninsula in a pre-dawn raid today, but military officials in Colombo have denied it completely.

''Two attack aircraft of the Liberation Tigers bombed the Sri Lankan military's main base complex in the Jaffna peninsula in the early hours (0120 hrs) of today, inflicting heavy damage and casualties,'' a pro-LTTE website, Tamilnet has quoted LTTE military spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan as saying.

According to the LTTE spokesman, ''both planes returned safely'' to their base in the rebel-held Wanni region after their second air mission within one month.

However, when contacted defence sources in Colombo denied the LTTE claims as ''completely untrue''.

''There was no truth in the LTTE's claim of carrying out an air strike on the Palaly military base,'' a defence official told UNI over the phone.

The defence official, however, confirmed that the LTTE has fired several rounds of artillery shells from their controlled areas of Pooneryn towards military targets in the Northern Jaffna peninsula early this morning.

''We are waiting for more details,'' the official said.

The LTTE carried out their first ever air strike shortly after midnight on March 25, 2007 on the Air Force base at Katunayake killing at least three air force personnel and wounding few more.

The Sri Lanka Air Force intensified its regular air raids on the suspected LTTE targets elsewhere in the north-east region inflicting heavy damages to the LTTE.

Even yesterday, the Air Force claimed that it has bombed a Sea Tiger base in the North and an LTTE movement in the East.

UNI

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