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Aircraft were detected: Colombo

COLOMBO: Amid speculation on the extent of losses in the LTTE’s ground and air raid on the Anuradhapura air base on Monday, the Government said on Tuesday two separate enquiries were initiated to probe the sequence of events.

The military conceded that the death toll of the troops mounted to 14 after a critically injured airman succumbed to his injuries. Another 22 Air Force personnel were under medical treatment.

Sources in the Government were at pains to emphasise that the re-vamped air defence system had detected the approaching two Tiger aircraft well before they were over the air base and a helicopter was deployed from the neighbouring Vavunia air base to intercept them.

However, the military helicopter crashed a kilometre from the retreating LTTE aircraft. While the Government attributed the cause of the crash to a “technical snag,” a section of the media quoting military sources said the military aircraft came down due to “friendly fire.” Two pilots and two gunmen in the aircraft died in the crash.

TamilNet quoting the LTTE reported, “Two Lieutenant Colonels, six Majors, 12 Captains and one Lieutenant rank Black Tiger members have taken part in the operation. A Lieutenant Colonel who led an attack team was from Trincomalee, two of the members, a Major and a Captain were from Batticaloa, one from Mullaiththeevu, one from Mannaar, three from Ki’linochchi and eleven members from Jaffna which has been under the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) control since 1995. Three Captains were female Black Tigers.”

The military on Tuesday claimed that at least 25 cadres of the Tamil Tigers were killed in continuing battles in the north in the last 24 hours.

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