Forces retaliate LTTE attack in Sampoor

TRINCOMALEE: The Navy, Army and Air Force yesterday retaliated when LTTE boats attacked Navy vessels off Sampoor Bay, Trincomalee.

A Defence Ministry statement said: "Navy craft on patrol off Trincomalee harbour yesterday detected a cluster of LTTE boats off Sampoor Bay, Trincomalee within the restricted zone. SLN craft while approaching to investigate, came under fire from those LTTE boats and also from the land area in Sampoor. SLN craft retaliated in self-defence.

Subsequently, another cluster of boats with four to six other LTTE suicide boats launched from Sampoor area in the meantime engaged the SLN craft.

SLN retailed with the assistance of Sri Lanka Army and Sri Lanka Air Force troops.

The LTTE in the last few months have continuously resorted to provocative actions and Cease-fire Agreement (CFA) violations from Sampoor area, including attacks at SLN craft and outer defences. All these incidents had also been reported to the SLMM promptly.

Sampoor, Kaddaparichchan and Elakanda (Ilakanthai) areas were under Sri Lankan Security Forces until 2001.

Taking advantage of withdrawal of Army camps from these areas prior to the CFA and persistent tolerance shown by the Government of Sri Lanka after the CFA, LTTE cadres have been continuing to violate the CFA, infiltrating into the areas and establishing camps with the view to surrounding the vital areas of Trincomalee Harbour."