Three-ship task force strikes
off Indonesia
Last of LTTE’s original fleet sunk
EU referred to LTTE fleet in its resolution
Matsushima carried electronic warfare equipment
by Shamindra Ferdinando
Courtesy The Island 08-10-2007
The LTTE yesterday lost Matsushima, which is believed to be the last
of its original fleet, in an operation executed by the Sri Lanka Navy,
over 800 nautical miles off Sri Lanka’s southern coast, in the
early hours of yesterday.
The European Union, in its resolution on the prohibition of the LTTE
referred to the LTTE shipping fleet and brought it to the notice of
the member States.
A three-ship task force had tracked down the 70 meter floating arsenal
and cornered it in the high seas, navy spokesperson Commander D. K.
P. Dassanayake told The Island yesterday. According to him, Matsushima
had been carrying a large stock of water scooters, powerful OBMs, communication
equipment, radar and electronic warfare equipment.
The LTTE ship and the navy task force had exchanged fire off the Indonesian
waters. At least a dozen LTTE cadres are believed to have been killed
in action. Matsushima had been registered with the International Maritime
Organisation but the identity of its present owners had been a mystery.
Unlike the previous occasions, the rogue ship had responded to the
demand to identify it, Dassanayake said. He asserted that the latest
hit on the high seas had further weakened the enemy’s capability
to wage war. "We have destroyed seven LTTE ships this year in four
separate confrontations on the high seas."
Emphasizing that the naval task force followed internationally accepted
rules of engagement before opening fire, the spokesperson said that
Matsushima, too, would have been with three LTTE ships which were destroyed
over 600 nautical miles South East of Sri Lanka on September 10 and
11 this year. According to him, the LTTE had painted Matsushima dark
blue after it managed to escape last month’s operation, dubbed
the navy’s most successful offensive action carried out since its
inception.
The naval task force had comprised SLNS Sayura, SLNS Sagara (both formerly
of the Indian Navy) and SLNS Suranimala, one of two Fast Missile Vessels
(FMVs) acquired from Israel. They had quietly left Colombo and Trincomalee
harbours on October 1 and gradually expanded their search until they
tracked down the ship.
Last year, the navy sunk one LTTE ship off Kalmunai. The naval action
had been facilitated by an air strike on the ship carried out by Kfirs.
|
