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| Monday, 16 June 2003 |
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Mullaitivu incident: Search for smaller vessel intensified by Ranil Wijayapala and Ranga Jayasuriya The Navy and the Air Force have intensified search operations in the Northern seas off Mullaitivu following the sinking of a suspected arms smuggling vessel in a pre-dawn operation on Saturday, Defence sources told the Daily News. The Naval vessels and surveillance craft of the Air Force were deployed in search of the small craft which disappeared before the Navy personnel engaged the suspected vessel.The Indian Navy had deployed its reconnaissance aircraft over the Indian ocean area to step up surveillance operations. "The Indian involvement is on an unofficial level, on the request made by the SL Navy", a high ranking Navy official said. The Navy personnel are also seeking to identify the cargo on board this vessel bound for Mullaitivu. Defence authorities are closely monitoring the situation. Meanwhile, the Navy and the Air Force have also launched a surveillance operation to look for the survivors of the blown up LTTE vessel, Military spokesman Sanath Karunaratne said. However, no signs of survivors have been found so far. A surveillance aircraft was dispatched from Colombo to Trincomalee for the rescue mission. An SLMM member was aboard the aircraft. Meanwhile, the LTTE in a press release issued from its Kilinochchi headquarters blamed the Sri Lanka Navy for sinking an oil tanker, 'MT Shoshin' in international waters after detecting it 266 nautical miles off the coast of Mullaitivu. The LTTE made the same allegation when the Navy detected and sank another suspected LTTE vessel in March. The Defence Ministry in a media statement denied the LTTE allegations. "The Sri Lanka Navy categorically rejects the allegations made by the LTTE that the Navy boarded the LTTE vessel, fired at crew members and arrested them after they jumped overboard," Military Spokesman Brigadier Sanath Karunaratne said in the statement. Describing Saturday's incident, the Defence Ministry said that the Navy on routine patrol in the northeast coast off Mullaitivu intercepted this suspected vessel, towing another small craft around 3.15 early in the morning on June 14 approximately 175 nautical miles off Mullaitivu, within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The Naval patrol had attacked the vessel as this vessel defied a Naval order to surrender. The Ministry said immediately after detecting the suspected vessel, Sri Lanka Navy craft on patrol were directed to the location as reinforcements. On closer approach, it was observed that the craft being towed was fitted with a medium calibre weapon. At that point the small craft, which was confirmed to be fully loaded, was detached hurriedly and both the vessel and the small craft began to proceed in opposite directions at high speed. The larger vessel was challenged by the Sri Lanka Navy to establish its identity since it did not carry any flag or name. Later, the vessel responded to Navy queries and claimed that its name was Shoshin, the port of register was Belize and that it was arriving from Surabaya. However, the Navy after its checking with authorities found that the particulars given by the vessel in question were false. Then the vessel confirmed that it belonged to the LTTE. The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Trincomalee was immediately informed followed by intimation to the Head of Mission, SLMM through the Ministry of Defence (MOD). Around 5.50 a.m. a Naval craft with an SLMM representative on board sailed to the location. The suspected LTTE vessel, ignoring the command to stop, suddenly began to take evasive manoeuvres and attempted to flee. In the meantime the small craft which was previously detached was missing. At this point, Sri Lanka Navy units approached at close range to prevent the movement of the vessel and fired warning shots in order to stop the vessel as it was behaving in a suspicious manner. The suspected LTTE vessel had opened fire at Sri Lanka Naval craft using medium calibre machine guns. Then Sri Lanka Naval craft exercising the right to self-defence took immediate retaliatory action. Then the Navy observed a huge fireball around 6 am and the vessel started sinking and it fully sank around 8 am. The LTTE also said that it had informed the SLMM that the SLN's sinking of the LTTE's merchant vessel is "a gross violation of the Ceasefire Agreement and if any harm were to befall the crew of the LTTE vessel, then the sole responsibility for the events lay with the Sri Lanka Navy and that this incident would have very grave consequences." Meanwhile, the SLMM yesterday afternoon dispatched an official by an Air Force helicopter to inspect the place where the sea clash took place. SLMM spokeswoman Agnes Bragadottir told the Daily News that the sea monitors dispatched on Saturday afternoon aboard a naval craft failed to reach the exact place due to bad weather. However, following discussions between Defence Secretary Austin Fernando and SLMM Chief Tryggve Telefssen it was agreed to send a SLMM monitor to the scene by an Air Force helicopter. According to Bragadottir there is a difference in distance of 156 nautical miles between the location given by the Sri Lanka Navy and the LTTE. The LTTE claimed that the incident took place outside the territorial waters of the EEZ of Sri Lanka while the Navy claims that the incident took place within the EEZ. However, Bragadottir said that it is only after the return of the SLMM monitor that they can make any comment on the incident as the information given by the two parties are contradictory. |
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