Navy destroys seven Tiger boats; more than 35 LTTEers killed

Ranil Wijayapala

JAFFNA: Naval troops assisted by artillery and Multi Barrel Rocket Launchers of the Army yesterday engaged a flotilla of 15 Sea Tiger boats including two suicide boats in Nagar Kovil in Jaffna completely destroying seven Tiger boats including one suicide boat.

Navy sources told the Daily News that Fast Attack Crafts of the Navy detected the Sea Tiger movement around 6.00 p.m. and engaged them at 6.45 p.m. chasing them away from the Nagar Kovil area.

"More than 35 Sea Tiger cadres were believed to be killed in the confrontation as seven boats including one suicide boat were destroyed in the confrontation", Navy Spokesman Commander D.K.P. Dassanayaka told the Daily News. Two sailors were injured in the sea battle, the official added.

The official said the objective of the Tiger movement was not clear. "But we were able to chase them away from the Nagar Kovil area," Commander Dassanayaka added. According to sources the Tiger boats had either tried to beach in the Nagarkovil area or were heading towards Point Pedro area.

This is the third time in this week Naval troops foiled Sea Tiger movements in the Northern and Southern seas. The first was in the sea off Arippu in which an LTTE arms smuggling trawler was destroyed and the second in Galle where an attempt to launch an attack on the Dhakshina Naval base was foiled.