At least seven Sri Lankan Navy personnel were injured in a clash
between the Navy and Tamil Tiger rebels at the Delft island near
the northern Jaffna peninsula early Thursday, defense officials
said.
A group of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels who
came by about 15 boats began to attack a naval installation at the
Delft island around 1:30 AM (20:00 GMT) and the Navy retaliated,
according to the officials.
At least one LTTE boat was destroyed and seven sailors were
injured in the battle, said officials from the Media Center for
National Security, adding that seven sailors are still missing.
"The LTTE unsuccessfully attempted to infiltrate the Delft
island by mounting an attack by sea and on land on the southern tip
of the island," said the Navy in statement.
The Navy said the LTTE cadres had come in 12 sea tiger boats
assisted by two to three suicide boats.
A search operation is being conducted to clear the area and
confrontations at sea are still continuing, said the Navy.
Reinforcements are being sent to the location in order to
prevent further attack attempts by the LTTE.
"Heavy clashes are continuing between the Navy and the LTTE both
at sea and land. The Navy has called for Air Force assistance as
well," a defense official said in Colombo.
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The Jaffna peninsula is under government control after the LTTE
lost the minority Tamils's cultural capital Jaffna to the military
in 1995.
Clashes between government troops and LTTE rebels are now an
almost daily occurrence in the island country's north and east.
About 5,000 troops, rebels and civilians have been killed since
December 2005 despite the Norwegian-arranged truce in place.
Claiming discrimination at the hands of the majority ethnic
Sinhalese-dominated government, the LTTE has been fighting for an
independent homeland for Sri Lanka's 12.5 percent Tamil minority
since the 1970s.
(Xinhua News Agency May 24, 2007)
