Two Tiger boats sunk in pre-dawn battle

Rafik Jalaldeen

MULLAITIVU: The Navy and the Air Force in a pre-dawn sea battle completely destroyed two Tiger boats and damaged several other boats in Nayaru. Six Sea Tigers were killed.

Acting Navy spokesman Commander Mahesh Karunaratne said the Navy’s elite Special Boat Squadron (SBS) patrolling in the waters of Nayaru lagoon observed seven LTTE boats heading to the east of Nayaru lagoon.

“Detecting the Tiger boats, the sailors opened fire at the fleet of LTTE boats at around 6.00 am. The sea battle lasted around two hours in the Nayaru lagoon,” Commander Karunaratne told the Daily News.

At least two Tiger boats were completely destroyed while another was severely damaged.

“According to LTTE communications intercepts six Tigers had been killed in the incident,” he added.

Commander Karunaratne said four fleeing LTTE boats were raided by the Air Force. A subsequent search operation was launched in the area. According to Air Force spokesman Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara following a request from the Navy confronting the Tiger boats, Air Force MI-24 gun ships raided the five LTTE boats fleeing to the northeast of Nayaru lagoon around 7.00 am.

“Air Force fighters hit the targets effectively one kilometre northeast of Nayaru lagoon. However, the extent of the damage was not confirmed. The degree of damage might have been heavy according to the volume of fire used by the aircraft,” he added. Wing Commander Nanayakkara said once the LTTE boats sighted the aircraft, they fired from the sea and Air Force fighters responded with a barrage of rocket fire.

“SLAF fighters observed the impact of fire at the fleeing fleet of LTTE boats on the waters of Nayaru lagoon. We believe that the LTTE suffered heavy casualties in the attack,” he told the Daily News.

Wing Commander Nanayakkara said subsequently Air Force fighter jets pounded two LTTE boats being towed to the north of Nayaru land area.