A major base of the Sri Lankan Air Force, some 30 km north of
the island country's capital Colombo, was attacked by suspected
aircraft of Tamil Tigers early Monday morning, defense officials
said.
The Katunayake air base, adjacent to Sri Lanka's only
international airport, the Bandaranaike International Airport, came
under attack by an attack aircraft at about 12:45 AM (07:15 GMT),
officials from the Media Center for National Security said.
Defense officials said the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil
Eelam) aircraft, targeting the Air Force's fighter aircraft,
dropped two bombs at the air base's engineering section, killing
three airmen and injuring 16.
They said that neither the military aircraft nor the runaway was
damaged in the bombing and the operation of Bandaranaike
International Airport had not been affected.
However, airport officials and industry sources said some
flights had been canceled or delayed due to the attack.
The Sri Lankan government has condemned the attack and appealed
for unity to fight the menace of terrorism.
"The government vehemently condemns the cowardly attempt to
attack the Katunayake Air Force Camp in the aftermath of major
defeats suffered by the LTTE in the north and east," said the
government in a statement.
The statement said similar attacks might continue and the
security forces have been placed on full alert.
The government appealed to all political forces to rise above
narrow political differences and extend fullest cooperation to the
government's efforts to fight against terrorism.
"It is the responsibility of all concerned to cast aside petty
political differences and stand by the government to safeguard
unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the nation and to
eradicate the menace of terrorism," the statement said.
The pro-LTTE website TamilNet reported that two LTTE attack
aircraft carried out bombing raids at the Katunayake air base at
12:45 a.m. and returned safely to the rebel controlled north.
The website quoted LTTE military spokesman Rasaiah Ilanthiraiyan
as saying that the targets for the air attack were the parking area
of the Air Force's Kfir and MIG-27 fast-attack aircraft.
Ilanthiraiyan said other military installations of the security
forces will also be targets of future attacks.
In a similar predawn attack on the Katunayake air base in July
2001, the LTTE destroyed 13 aircraft including two Kfir jet
fighters, one MI-24 helicopter and one MIG-27 jet fighter.
The incident came as government troops and LTTE rebels were
being locked in fierce battles in the island country's north and
east.
More than 4,000 people have been killed since December 2005
despite a Norwegian-arranged truce in place.
The LTTE has been fighting for an independent homeland for Sri
Lanka's 12.5 percent Tamil minority since the 1970s.
(Xinhua News Agency March 26, 2007)
