Lanka activates ADS after reports of LTTE planes

Colombo, Apr 27: Sri Lanka tonight activated the air defence system at the Katunayake Air Force base and cut power to the capital city after receiving reports of a suspected LTTE aircraft flying from the north towards the south.

Our security force personnel have observed a suspected LTTE aircraft flying from North towards South and we activated the air defence systems in many parts of the country, including the ones at the Katunayake Air Force base as a precautionary measure, Air Force spokesman and Group Captain Ajantha Silva said over the phone.

When pointed out that the people around the air force base have heard gunfire in close proximity of the air base, he said it could well be result of the activation of air defence system.

However, Sri Lanka's Defence Ministry shortly after the midnight said the Air Force has engaged its air defence weapons at a suspicious aircraft observed in the Katunayake sky short while ago.

The suspicious air move has been detected by the air defence radar around 10.45 pm. The air defence weapon systems have been activated targeting the suspicious aircraft in order to avoid possible terror air raid at the Air Force camp, the Defence Ministry report said.

The Air Force sources further confirmed that no air raid has taken place and the Air Force base is safe, it said, adding the Katunayake International airport was temporarily closed for civil aircraft movement during this period, but returned to normalcy after a couple of hours.

It was exactly a month ago that the LTTE carried out their first air attack on the Katunayake air force base, killing at least three air men and wounding 11 more.

Sri Lanka yesterday vowed to crush the newly acquired air capability of the Tamil Tiger rebels, after the light wing aircraft of the Tigers carried out their second pre-dawn air attack in the Northern Jaffna peninsula on Tuesday killing six soldiers at Myliddi.

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.

UNI