- News>
- Asia
LTTE unleashes terror on Black Day
LTTE bombed and destroyed at least eight military aircrafts and three Sri Lankan Airlines passenger planes early morning on Tuesday near Bandaranaike Airport, 30 kms from Colombo. The attack comes on the 18th anniversary of the `Black July 1983` when ethnic violence erupted in Sri Lanka. The whole area has been sealed off temporarily.
LTTE bombed and destroyed at least eight military aircrafts and three Sri Lankan Airlines passenger planes early morning on Tuesday near Bandaranaike Airport, 30 kms from Colombo. The attack comes on the 18th anniversary of the `Black July 1983` when ethnic violence erupted in Sri Lanka. The whole area has been sealed off temporarily.
Senior Journalist K Venkatraman said, "Gunbattle between army and Tamil tigers is still continuing. Eight military aircrafts and three Sri Lankan Airlines passenger planes have been destroyed by the attacks of the Tamil rebels. Eight LTTE men have also been killed in an encounter by the Lankan security forces. It will take quite some time before the situation can be brought under control."
The international airport has been closed temporarily and all activities at the airport has been suspended following the pre-dawn attack by the tigers. All incoming flights have been diverted to Chennai airport in India.
Four Lankan aircrafts already have landed in Chennai and eight more will be arriving within a few hours. Tourists have been given accommodation in different hotels in Chennai. Many tourists after witnessing a horrifying experience want to return back to their own countries as soon as possible. Passengers and tourists told of terrifying scenes at Sri Lanka`s only international airport as they cowered from bullets during a pre-dawn attack by Tamil rebels. Military spokesman Brigadier Sanath Karunaratne said the Tamil tiger guerillas managed to reach the airbase at around 0400 hrs and started indiscriminate firing at the military aircraft parked there. Security force personnel who were taken by surprise retaliated but the guerillas continued their attack by firing for more than three hours.
Reliable sources said two KFIR, two MI 17 helicopters, two MIG 27 jets and 3K-8 military planes were damaged in the LTTE attack.. Later the guerillas started firing at the Sri Lankan Airlines hanger adjacent to the airbase destroying three boeing aircrafts of the Sri Lankan Airlines.
Bureau Report
The international airport has been closed temporarily and all activities at the airport has been suspended following the pre-dawn attack by the tigers. All incoming flights have been diverted to Chennai airport in India.
Four Lankan aircrafts already have landed in Chennai and eight more will be arriving within a few hours. Tourists have been given accommodation in different hotels in Chennai. Many tourists after witnessing a horrifying experience want to return back to their own countries as soon as possible. Passengers and tourists told of terrifying scenes at Sri Lanka`s only international airport as they cowered from bullets during a pre-dawn attack by Tamil rebels. Military spokesman Brigadier Sanath Karunaratne said the Tamil tiger guerillas managed to reach the airbase at around 0400 hrs and started indiscriminate firing at the military aircraft parked there. Security force personnel who were taken by surprise retaliated but the guerillas continued their attack by firing for more than three hours.
Reliable sources said two KFIR, two MI 17 helicopters, two MIG 27 jets and 3K-8 military planes were damaged in the LTTE attack.. Later the guerillas started firing at the Sri Lankan Airlines hanger adjacent to the airbase destroying three boeing aircrafts of the Sri Lankan Airlines.
Bureau Report