12 suspects quizzed over Air Base attack

Rafik Jalaldeen and Nimal Wijesinghe Anuradhapura Gr. Corr.

Twelve suspects have been detained following the LTTE attack on the Anuradhapura Air base, Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said.

“Immediately after the incident a cordon and search operation was jointly conducted by the Army and Police. Twelve suspects were arrested in connection with the incident and eight of them have been taken into custody,” Police media spokesman Senior DIG Jayantha Wickramaratne said.

The Anuradhapura City and environs have returned to normality following the tense situation on Monday, North Central Province DIG Jayantha Jayasinghe said. “The situation is under full control of the Security Forces and an additional Army and Air Force team was deployed to provide maximum security to the air base.” Brigadier Nanayakkara told the Daily News.

IGP Victor Perera visited the area to review the investigation process with regard to the infiltration of the LTTE to launch an attack on the air base.

He held a special conference yesterday in Anuradhapura with Security Forces and police personnel on the present security situation.

He also reviewed the investigation process.DIG Jayasinghe said the IGP also directed security officials to provide maximum security to the sacred Sri Maha Bodhi, the Atamasthana, other sacred areas and to the Anuradhapura town. Preliminary investigations revealed that the Tiger cadres had visited the area around the Air Force base prior to the attack.

“We have reliable information that a group of LTTE cadres haunted the locality of the Air Force base to plan the attack. We are inquiring from dwellers of 10 houses surrounding the Air base as they could be knowing about the LTTE movements,” DIG Jayasinghe said.

According to the CID sources, a CID team was deployed to assist the local police to probe the incident.

The bodies of 20 LTTE cadres killed by the Security Forces in Monday’s pre-down attack targeting the air base will be handed over to the ICRC.

“Twenty Tiger cadres’ bodies have been sent to the Anuradhapura mortuary. From there the LTTE bodies will be handed over to the ICRC,” he added. “We have not received any request from the military or any other authorities so far to take over the LTTE bodies,” ICRC spokesman Davide Vignati said.