11 LTTE boats destroyed and 70 killed - Pulmodai

The Elite Sea Borne Squadron of the Sri Lanka Navy on patrol in the seas off Mullativu detected a cluster of Sea Tiger craft (approximately 25) launching from Alampil - Mullativu area and heading towards Trincomalee, on Sunday the 24th of September, at 9.45 p.m.

When the enemy boat cluster was off Pulmodai, Fast Attack Craft took initiative to engage and cut off Sea Tiger boats moving further southward. Reinforcement was rushed to the area from the Northern and Eastern Naval Commands.

During a fierce sea battle which lasted for nearly five hours, the Sri Lanka Navy's Fast Attack Craft taught the Sea Tigers a haunting lesson. On completion of the confrontation only 14 craft were seen fleeing as 02 Sea Tiger craft caught fire initially and another 09 sank along with the crew. The withdrawing 14 craft included badly damaged 05 Tiger boats on tow.

It is believed more than 70 Sea Tigers were killed and over 30 injured.

A Fast Attack Craft was slightly damaged during the exchange of fire and 05 Sailors suffered injuries and one was transferred to Colombo for further treatments.

As 02 Tiger craft caught fire initially; the northern most clusters of boats started its withdrawal as they could not face the superior fire power of the Navy's Fast Attack Craft.

Aerial reconnaissance assistance of the Sri Lanka Air Force was called to confirm that the Tiger terrorists are not planning to divert the attention of the Navy and thereby carry out a cargo unloading elsewhere in the Eastern coast.

Enemy communication intercepts confirm that this Sea battle was commanded by the third in command of the Sea Tiger wing "SELIYAN" and his boat was among those which were badly damaged in the confrontation. The Tiger higher Sea command was desperate of bringing back the third in command but feared he is seriously injured or killed as he never communicated after the two Sea Tiger craft caught fire initially.

The Navy believes that the Tigers were desperate of sending troops and logistics to Vakarai / Verugal area after facing a humiliating defeat in the hands of the Security Forces during the last few months especially when they lost the hold of Sampoor area.

This sea battle is yet another addition to the continuation of "Sea Tiger defeats" in the hands of the Sri Lanka Navy's supreme fighting squadron and this lost to the Sea Tigers came exactly after a week when the Navy and the Air Force sank a Tiger Vessel bringing war like material off the cost of Kalmunai.

This is not the first time the Navy sank Tiger arms smuggling vessels. The MV Ahat was sunk by the Indian Navy off Point Pedro on June 16, 1993, MV Horizon was sunk by the Sri Lankan Navy off Nayaru on February 14, 1996, MV Fratzescom was sunk by the Sri Lankan Navy off Mullaittivu on November 2, 1997, MV Mariamman was sunk by the Sri Lankan Navy off the Andaman islands on March 11, 1998, MV Koimer was sunk by the Sri Lankan Navy, off Mullaittivu on March 20, 2003, MV Shoshin was sunk by the Sri Lankan Navy off Mullaittivu on June 14, 2003.

Earlier, the Sri Lanka Naval elite seaborne squadron of 4th Fast Attack Flotilla successfully thwarted an LTTE siege off Point Pedro, on Saturday the 02nd of September, at 03.30a.m.

The naval fast attack craft destroyed at least 12 LTTE boats including 05 suicide craft and killing over 75 terrorists.

Meanwhile, in an exclusive interview with Tamil Murasu, on 24th September, a Tamil daily under the control of the Singapore Government, S. P. Tamilselvan, Head of the Political Division of the terrorist outfit, said that when the LTTE launches its full scale war the Sri Lankan Army will be defeated squarely.

He also admitted that the LTTE had suffered defeats in the recent battles with the Sri Lankan Security Forces. He vowed that they will recapture all those places including Sampur that fell into the hands of the Sri Lankan Army, in which hours later LTTE boats were whacked off the seas of Pulmodai, by the SL Navy.

Courtesy : MCNS