Another LTTE submarine found

Ranil Wijayapala

Troops operating in Vellamullivaikkal area in Mullaitivu on Saturday night recovered yet another submersible vehicle used by the LTTE for their underwater operations.

Troops made this discovery on information provided by the 56 Division intelligence unit, Military Spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara told the Daily News yesterday.

The Task Force VIII troops salvaged this submersible vehicle from 300 feet deep in the sea, some 500 meters off the shore close to the wreckage of the Jordanian ship Farah III in the Mullaitivu on information provided by the 56 Division, the Brigadier added.

This is the second such submersible vehicle recovered by the troops in the same area. The first one was recovered in the mid of June on a tip off given by a Tiger cadre now under arrest.

According to Brigadier Nanayakkara the submersible vehicle is 25 feet in length, 4.5 feet in height and 4 feet in width and was fitted with four cylinder engines and a GPS system . “This submersible vehicle has a capacity to transport three people at once”, he added. ”This is also similar to the submersible vehicle recovered in June but the balancing tanks of this is fitted to the bottom of the vehicle.

The balancing tanks of the earlier submersible vehicle were fitted to the sides of the vehicle”, Brigadier Nanayakkara added.

The Security Forces were in search for these two submersible vehicle similar to a submarine for the past two months as troops have clearly observed these submersible vehicles through the visuals of the Unman Aerial Vehicles when intense fighting were going in Vellamullivaikkal area.