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Two remote-controlled aircraft seized from LTTE: Colombo

COLOMBO: The Sri Lanka Navy on Thursday claimed to have recovered two “remote-controlled aircraft”, following an attack on two “small size logistics boats” of the LTTE in the coastal waters north of Thallaimannar.

As per the Defence Ministry, Inshore Patrol Craft (IPCs) on Thursday morning confronted two small size LTTE logistic boats in the coastal waters, North of Thallaimannar and seized two remote-controlled aircraft along with many other sophisticated military equipment destined for delivery to the terrorists.

The navy targeted the suspicious boasts when they fired on the IPCs on being challenged to prove their identity. The navy believes that the four Tiger cadres on the boats were killed in the incident.

Inside the boats, the navy found two remote-controlled aircraft — one fixed wing aircraft with about 6ft wingspan and the other a miniature helicopter which is about 1ft in length. Among the other items that have been found are four radio communication sets, 10 hand-held Global Positioning Systems (GPS), four satellite phones, 45 radio antennas, 100 electronic circuit boards, battery charges and 300 litres of hydraulic oil.

It is immediately not clear if the aircraft and the military equipment seized by the Navy was being transported to strengthen the nascent air wing of the LTTE. The rudimentary air wing of the Tigers hit world headlines in March-April this year after the LTTE low-flying aircraft managed to hit military targets on four different occasions.

Separately, the Sri Lanka Government Peace Secretariat has written to Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) urging it to resume the naval monitoring it stopped “temporarily” in May 2006.

The then SLMM Head of Mission had written to the government that following the LTTE attack on a vessel carrying an SLMM monitor in May last year, it has temporarily suspended all naval monitoring activities due to grave security concerns.

The Peace Secretariat claimed here that the SLMM has agreed to consider the request to recommence naval monitoring. The Secretariat further said that the ICRC had responded positively to appeals at the CCHA meeting which Sir John Holmes attended, and was able to obtain the required guarantees from the LTTE to enable the opening of the road northward from Omanthai on more days in the week, which has helped with supplies to the Vanni.

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