Colombo: Sri Lanka's request for supply of ammunitions during its war against Tamil Tigers was turned down by Britain, according to officials here.
"Britain had even declined to supply ammunition for 30 mm guns mounted on Sri Lankan Navy's Fast Attack Craft," an official said here quoting sources.
Sri Lanka took delivery of ten 30 mm guns from Britain in 1996 along with 6,000 rounds of ammunitions. Although the UK had delivered 2,000 more rounds of ammunition later, it turned down subsequent requests for the same, sources said.
Sri Lankan Army also rejected claims in the UK press reports that weapons of British origin had been used against the LTTE in the Eelam War IV that culminated in the killing of Tiger Supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran early this year.
Sri Lankan Army Chief Lt Gen Jagath Jayasuriya said the Army had not acquired armaments from the UK during the fourth phase of the conflict. He said Sri Lanka did not buy "anything" (arms) from the UK.
Jayasuriya said the West was not inclined to supply ammunition needed even for sniper weapons.
A cross-party Committee of MPs on Arms Export Control in Britain has called for a probe into whether British arms were used in the Lankan military campaign against the LTTE.
The Sri Lankan Air Force and Navy yesterday dismissed claims that they had received a 'wide variety of weapons' from the UK to defeat the LTTE.
Bureau Report
First Published: Sunday, August 23, 2009, 15:53