LTTE attack on Air Base foiled

Ranil Wijayapala in Palaly

PALALY: Contrary to the bleak picture of chaos and mayhem painted by the LTTE, journalists who visited Palaly witnessed no scenes or disorder at the sprawling air base following an aborted LTTE foray into its High Security Zone.

Except for some minor damages, caused by LTTE bombs launched using obsolete technology there was no major impact caused by this second attempt by the LTTE to carry out an air attack against a major security installation.

The situation was quite contrary to what has been speculated by the pro-LTTE media to the outside world when a Ministerial and a media delegation arrived yesterday in Palaly to obtain a first-hand account of the situation in Palaly.

The Palaly Airport was busy as usual despite the pre-dawn incident involving a light aircraft of the LTTE, that was explained as a minor incident by the Jaffna Security Forces Commander G. A. Chandrasiri.

The Security Forces in Palaly and Milady explained how they averted yet another attempt by the LTTE to make a big damage to the Palaly Air Base. According to Jaffna Security Forces Commander Major General G. A. Chandrasiri, the incident started to unfold at 1.05 am yesterday with 20 LTTE artillery rounds began to fall inside and outside Palaly High Security Zone from Pooneryn direction.

“We took steps to neutralise the LTTE artillery fire making use of the beach craft which was on another mission in Jaffna to identify the artillery locations of the LTTE”, he said.

Amidst artillery fire of the LTTE, troops in south of Jaffna reported about an aircraft arriving from the south of Jaffna peninsula towards Palaly Air Base under the cover of darkness at 1.20 am.

“The aircraft took the path along the marshy lands in Jaffna where lesser number of troops on duty. The troops were ready after switching off the lights at the Palaly Air Base once the light aircraft arrived close to the Palaly Air Base”, he said.

There was big retaliatory fire using light and heavy weapons available at the Palaly High Security Zone towards the aircraft compelling the Tiger cadres to change their path towards Thondamanaru area towards the sea as they couldn’t achieve the target.“They dropped three bombs at Milady area while nearly 30 to 40 soldiers who came out of the bunkers fired towards the aircraft”, Major General Chandrasiri added.

Six valiant soldiers, five attached to the Engineering Regiment and one attached to the Infantry Regiment were killed as the light aircraft dropped three bombs as the aircraft passed the area towards seaside, failing to achieve their target. Major General Chandrasiri said the Security Forces were ready to face any such attack by the LTTE and they had completed a rehearsal a day prior to the incident to face such an eventuality.

“This is just an attempt by the LTTE to get publicity”, Major General Chandrasiri added. “We are ready to face such incidents in the future too.

We will take steps to destroy the aircraft with the fire power and strategies available with us”, he added.