Sea Tiger boat destroyed

Ranil WIJAYAPALA

SILAWATURA: One Tiger suicide boat was destroyed, killing two cadres on board, as Naval troops engaged five Sea Tiger boats heading towards the Southern seas yesterday around 10.40 a.m., Navy Spokesman Commander D.K.P. Dassanayaka told the Daily News.

Three Inshore Patrol Craft on a routine patrol in the sea five miles off Battalangunduwa detected the five LTTE boats which had set sail from Silawatura in Mannar around 10.40 am.

One sailor sustained injuries as shrapnel of the suicide boat hit him when the boat exploded in the Naval gun fire. A ‘Water Jet’ Inshore Patrol Craft was also slightly damaged after being hit by the shrapnel of the exploded suicide boat, Commander Dassanayaka added.

“The remaining four armed Tiger craft fled towards Silawatura as naval troops waylaid and fired at them causing heavy damage to those boats too,” Commander Dassanayaka added.

“We suspect the five LTTE boats were heading towards the South to transport arms and ammunition. The Navy was able to thwart their attempt by engaging these boats,” he said.

The LTTE is using the sea off Battalangunduwa and Puttalam to smuggle arms and ammunition to uncleared areas after transferring them to small boats from fishing trawlers or small ships.

Naval troops operating in this area recently apprehended and destroyed a number of arms smuggling boats disguised as fishing boats.

Commander Dassanayaka said there were around four cadres on board each armed craft.