Navy salvages parts of LTTE craft sunk during final battle

The Naval Intelligence Team attached to the Eastern Naval Command assisted by Navy divers salvaged parts of a sunken LTTE craft and its weapons in the seas six nautical miles east of Mullaitivu July 15.

The craft is believed to be one of the LTTE boats fitted with high-powered OBMs that were sunk by the Navy’s combined forces of elite Special Boat Squadron (SBS), Fast Attack Craft (FAC) Squadron and Rapid Action Boat Squadron (RABS) during the final stage of the humanitarian operations.

Among the recovered weapons are parts of a 12.7 mm T85 gun, a gun mount with bracket, an ammunition box and 60 rounds of 12.7x108 mm ammunition.

A partially corroded 85 HP OBM and a steering wheel were also among the items salvaged. The round-the-clock vigilance maintained by Navy personnel and continuous Naval patrols close to the enemy stronghold were instrumental in thwarting the LTTE’s last ditch desperate Sea Tiger attacks on ground troops.

The Navy’s patrol craft inflicted heavy damages on the LTTE Sea Tigers. Multiple defense barriers kept in force by SLN Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs), Fast Gun Boats (FGBs), Fast Attack Craft (FACs), the Rapid Action Boat Squadron (RABS) and the Special Boat Squadron (SBS) and continuous surveillance maintained by shore-based radar prevented LTTE cadres from launching desperate attacks on advancing Security Forces personnel and cut off the fleeing attempts of Tiger leaders trapped on land.