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No damage in LTTE raid: Colombo

COLOMBO: In an early morning swoop on Sunday, two light aircraft of the LTTE dropped three bombs on the forward defence lines in Welioya even as the Tigers and the forces were locked in a fierce ground battle.

The military claimed that the bombs dropped by the Tiger aircraft caused no damage.

“During the wee hours the SLAF [Sri Lankan Air Force] air defence network radars detected 2 light aircraft of LTTE which were airborne and heading towards Welioya. In accordance with standard operating procedures, [the] SLAF interceptor aircraft were made airborne in the direction of the intruding enemy craft. However, enroute to the area it was observed that the LTTE aircraft were fleeing and heading back,” said the Defence Ministry here.

In the Black Tiger raid on the Anuradhapura airbase in October 2007, the Tigers deployed their “air wing” combined with the ground forces. The Tigers have not released details of the Sunday “aerial operation.”

Separately, the military claimed that at least 16 LTTE cadre were killed when troops thwarted two-pronged LTTE offensive attempts to breach the military defences at Welioya.

It said the troops dismantled an LTTE artillery attack launched towards Galkulama and Sinhapura villages at Weiloya.

In another development, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is scheduled to arrive here on Monday on a two-day official visit. Though it is billed as a bilateral visit — President Mahinda Rajapaksa was in Iran in November last year — Colombo is marketing it as a milestone in strengthening economic relations.

At the end of his visit, Mr. Rajapaksa announced that Tehran had pledged $1.5 billion assistance to fund the expansion of an oil refinery and several developmental projects.

The high-profile visit of Mr. Rajapaksa and the promised financial assistance by Iran was considered important in the light of the ongoing row between Washington and Tehran over the latter’s nuclear programme.

Sri Lanka Foreign Minister, Rohitha Bogolagamma told a news conference here that Colombo attached great importance to its ties with Tehran.

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