Lanka vows to destroy LTTE aircraft soon

Colombo, Apr 25 (UNI) A day after the light wing aircraft of the Tamil Tiger rebels carried out their second airstrike on Sri Lanka's military installations in the Northern Jaffna Peninsula, the Sri Lankan military today claimed that it was ready to face the new challenge posed by Tamil Tigers' aircraft and vowed to destroy them.

''We are vigilant, performing night missions and are trying to get these (LTTE) aircraft. That is our mission,'' Air Force Spokesman Group Captain Ajantha Silva told reporters here.

''We will definitely do that soon,'' the Air Force spokesman vowed.

The Tamil Tiger rebels yesterday claimed that two of their light wing aircraft have carried out an airstrike on Palaly military base about 1.20 am ''inflicting heavy damage and casualties''.

The Tigers further said their planes returned safely to the base after their second air mission within a month.

The Sri Lankan Defence Ministry counter-claimed that the security forces alerted through the air defence systems acted promptly and launched a counter air attack on the LTTE aircraft, forcing them ''to change course immediately''.

The Sri Lankan security force personnel were successful in repulsing the LTTE attempt to breach the High Security Air Zone in Palaly, describing the LTTE's claim of bombing the Palaly military base as a ''complete fabrication'', the ministry said.

Group Captain Ajantha Silva said, ''the rebel aircraft flew into the air space of the government-held areas of the Jaffna peninsula over the lagoon and flew at 100-200 meters from the ground level, and thus avoided being spotted by radar at Palaly.'' The LTTE aircraft have dropped three bombs at a village located on the Palaly coastal belt before fleeing back to the their bases in the rebel-held Wanni, killing six soldiers attached to the military engineering unit, he added.

Although the government troops were managing with the available resources, ''certain things have to be ordered, purchased and implemented'' to handle the new challenge effectively, Military spokesman Brig Prasad Samarasinghe said.

''But definitely it will be implemented soon,'' he added.

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

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 rebels.

UNI