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14 Sea Tigers killed in sea battle with Sri Lankan Navy

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

New Delhi, Nov 1, IRNA
Sri Lanka-Navy
At least fourteen Tamil Tigers have been killed and sixteen others injured on Saturday in a fierce sea battle with the Sri Lankan Navy off the northern coast of the island nation during which four rebel vessels were also destroyed.

"An attempt by a flotilla of Tiger boats to attack naval personnel on duty in the sea between Nagarkovil and Point Pedro was thwarted when sailors engaged the enemy boats destroying at least four of them and killing 14 Tigers early this morning," Indian official media reported quoting the Sri Lankan Defence Ministry.

The sea battle started when the sailors spotted a fleet of suspicious boats. The Navy Fast Attack Craft then identified the LTTE vessels, probably laden with explosives in order to carry out a clandestine terrorist operation, officials said.

Sri Lankan Navy's elite Special Boat Squadron(SBS) and Rapid Action Boat Squadron (RABS) destroyed four LTTE vessels, killing 14 rebels, including seven LTTE suicide cadres, in the northern sea off Nagarkovil, the navy said.

The SBS and RABS personnel opened heavy fire after intercepting LTTE boats, immobilizing their fleeing attempt.

Sixteen LTTE sea Tigers were also wounded in the clash, the navy said, adding five sailors sustained injuries too.

Officials said that at least five senior sea Tigers were among the dead rebels.

Giving cover fire to the navy, Air Force fighter jets destroyed another two LTTE boats at the landing point in Championpattu and Point Pedro in Jaffna.

Pilots confirmed that the two boats were completely destroyed in the air sortie, the Air Force said.

In ground clashes, the LTTE opened fire at the Forward Defence Lines in Muhamale in Jaffna on Friday, the army said.

"Troops retaliated the attack using heavy weapons and neutralized the enemy fire," it said.

In fierce fighting in the rebel stronghold of Kilinochchi and northeastern Welioya, troops inflicted heavy damage on the LTTE on Friday, the army said.

It said confrontations took place in the general area of Akkarayankulam east, Kokavil, Nochchimunai and Madam in Kilinochchi and Andankulam in Welioya.

The army said troops captured a Tiger bunker in the east of Akkarayankulam and another two in Andankulam.

A search operation in the general area of Andankulam led to the recovery of two hand grenades, 90 anti-personnel mines and six Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), it said.

"Many LTTE cadres were reported killed and several others injured during the confrontations with troops throughout Friday in Andankulam," the Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) said.

A few soldiers also sustained injuries in the confrontations, it said.

Meanwhile police recovered five claymore mines with remote control devices and some batteries in eastern Batticaloa on Friday, the MCNS said.