Sri Lanka has repaired five helicopters and two Israeli-made KFIR jets damaged during a daring attack by an LTTE suicide squad on July 24, an air force spokesman said. “We have completed repair work on these aircraft and they are now fully serviceable. Repair work is going on for another six,” wing commander Ajit Wijesundera said.
Apart from the eight aircraft that were destroyed, 13 had suffered varying degrees of damage, mostly in the form of bullet holes. The aircraft suffered damages when they were fired upon by the LTTE rebels even as they were parked in the hangars of the Katunayake Air Force base.
Two MI-24 attack helicopters and three bell choppers are among the aircraft that have been repaired while three KFIR jets, one MIG-27 aircraft and two bell helicopters are still being serviced, Wijesundara said. The air force has written off eight aircraft - two KFIR combat jets, one MIG-27 bomber, three K-8 trainer aircraft and two helicopters - which were destroyed in the attack.
The militants also destroyed four civilian airbuses belonging to the national carrier Sri Lankan Airlines and damaged two more.
The loss and damage together were estimated at $ 25 million, the spokesman said.
Bureau Report