LTTE terrorists launch abortive air raid at Trincomalee navy camp

LTTE terrorist have carried out an abortive air raid attempt at the naval base Trincomalee short while ago. According to the available information, the terror aircraft have dropped two improvised bombs.

More information will follow.

Source,
http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20080826_04

“Sri Lankan Navy won’t fire on Indian fishermen”

Sri Lanka has assured India that there will be no firing by the Sri Lankan Navy on Indian fishermen hereafter, M.K. Narayanan, National Security Adviser, said on Monday.

In the event of arrest of the fishermen, they would be released in the “shortest possible time.” They would be given “humanitarian treatment as far as possible,” and there would be no “maltreatment” of the Indian fishermen, Mr. Narayanan told journalists, emerging from a 40-minute-long meeting with Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and senior officials of the State government at the Secretariat.

Describing as “positive understanding” the outcome of discussions at bilateral meetings between India and Sri Lanka early this month prior to the summit of the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation, Mr. Narayanan said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in his meeting with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa went into great detail on each of the points raised by the Chief Minister in his letter to Dr. Singh and personal discussions with him.

On the basis of the discussions, a “tentative understanding” was reached, he said.

Read more,
http://www.hindu.com/2008/08/26/stories/2008082650050100.htm

Navy raids LTTE Make-shift Camp on Iranathivu Island - One LTTE Boat destroyed, Four LTTE Cadres killed and Two LTTE Boats captured

Sri Lanka Navy’s Rapid Action Boats Squadron (RABS) and Special Boats Squadron (SBS) destroyed an LTTE make-shift camp located on Iranathivu Island off the North-western coast, destroying one LTTE boat, killing four LTTE cadres and capturing two LTTE boats, in the evening on the 02nd August 2008.

Naval troops upon observing the LTTE boats and cadre movements on the Iranathivu Island, had immediately engaged the enemy and their craft. Subsequently, naval troops landing on the Iranathivu island, destroyed an LTTE make-shift camp and captured two LTTE boats along with two OBMs left behind by the fleeing LTTE cadres under the naval fire. Simultaneously, naval craft engaged a cluster of LTTE boats hovering closer to the Nachchikudah beach and inflicted heavy damages to the enemy.

Meanwhile, the Navy’s elite Special Boats Squadron personnel made a swift landing on the Iranathivu island and secured the area by carrying out a special search operation. A stretcher, a haul of medical items, two cans full of fuel, and a tent were recovered by the naval personnel. A cleared building at the location bears the signs of having being recently used by the LTTE cadres. Two dinghies were found abandoned near the building and they are reported to have been used by the LTTE cadres to extort money from the local fishermen as “taxes” on their fish catch.

Extracted from,
http://www.navy.lk/index.php?id=928

Three LTTE craft destroyed off Chilavaththa, Mullaithivu

In a pre-emptive attack launched by the fast attack craft, fast missile vessels and Special boat squadron of the Navy to a cluster of about 10 LTTE craft launched from Vhilawaththa situated two nautical miles to the south from Mullaithivu in order to attack naval craft, three LTTE attack type craft were completely destroyed today (24th July) around 0630 p.m.

The cluster of LTTE attack type craft had been launched and was being maneuvered in the shallow waters when sighted the preparedness of theirs to attack navy.

However, amongst attack by the naval units the other craft fled after three craft were completely destroyed.

Extracted from,
http://www.navy.lk/index.php?id=914

Navy destroys one LTTE boat, damages 2 in a sea battle - Pulmoddai

Source,
http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20080722_01

Forces moving towards west Mullaitivu

Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said the Security Forces engaged in liberating the North were moving towards west of Mullaitivu as part of their humanitarian mission.

Addressing the media yesterday at the MCNS, Brigadier Nanayakkara said the Security Forces who liberated the Eastern Province on a humanitarian mission had moved to the North to liberate it from LTTE clutches.

“Commandos on the Mannar and Wanni front marked many victories against the LTTE and liberated from the LTTE grip. Troops are marching towards the Mullaitivu entered west of Mullaitivu along the A9 road to liberate one of the LTTE strong hold in the North,” he added.

The Security Forces also liberated 67 square kilometers in the Weli Oya area in the Northern front including One Four Base scattered in the Mullaitivu jungle, Brigadier Nanayakkara said.

Navy spokesman Commander D.P.K. Dassanayake said at least 13 Tiger boats were destroyed and six LTTE cadres killed including sea Tiger leaders on Sunday, Navy and Air Force joint operation in the sea off Nachchikuda, North of Illuppaikkadavai.

Commenting on reports in pro-LTTE websites that the Navy targeted fishermen, Commander Dassanayake queried as to why ‘fishermen’ should use 85 horsepower boats and fire at the Navy. Commander Dassanayake said the Navy had established a Naval Blockade between Mannar and Delft Island to block weapons supplies to the LTTE from India and block fleeing Tigers.

“There was a difficulty in the past to operate in the area as it was covering a shallow sea area and we have now introduced a new boat squadron and over 50 naval Dvora boats were deployed to operate the blockade,” he added.

Extracted from,
http://www.dailynews.lk/2008/07/22/sec02.asp

Navy-Air Force combined Attack destroys 06 LTTE Boats and damages Two off Nachchikuda

The combined attack launched by the Sri Lanka Navy and the Sri Lanka Air Force, destroyed six (06) LTTE boats and completely damaged another two in a sea confrontation that lasted for over two hours in the seas off Nachchikuda, located on the North-western coast, today (20th July 2008).

Naval craft on patrol had engaged the enemy craft upon observing a movement of a flotilla of 6-8 LTTE boats south of Nachchikuda around 1630 hrs. The Air Force air support was subsequently called for and the LTTE boat movement was completely immobilized in the combined naval and air attack that ensued. The monitoring of enemy communication has confirmed that more than 15 LTTE cadres have been killed in the confrontation.

Naval troops suffered no casualties and none of their craft received any damages in the sea confrontation.

Extracted from,
http://www.navy.lk/index.php?id=910

Navy rescues an injured Sri Lankan Fisherman off 150 nautical miles North-east of Trincomalee

Sri Lanka Navy rescued an injured Sri Lankan fisherman 150 nautical miles north-east of Trincomalee on the 16th July 2008 and provided him with medical treatment.

The injured fisherman had left from Matara with his fellow crew members for fishing on board a multi-day fishing trawler. Their fishing trawler had begun to drift due to an engine failure in mid sea. He had fallen overboard while attempting to repair the boat and got seriously injured when he got entangled in the propeller. The fellow crew members had managed to take him on board and had treated him with medicine available on board their vessel.

However, his condition had worsened and the Navy was contacted for help. The Navy’s Offshore Patrol Vessel, SLNS Samudura, was dispatched to rescue the seriously wounded fisherman. The navy medical personnel had provided him with the emergency medical treatment after taking him on board the SLNS Samudura.

The patient, 18-year-old AMP Kasun Danushra of Beldeniya, Kottegoda, is now receiving medical treatment at the Navy Hospital in Trincomalee.

News and Photo,
http://www.navy.lk/index.php?id=898

Mysterious presence of Indian in Tiger territory

A chance detection of a boat trying to move through an SLN cordon now in place in the Gulf of Mannar has revealed the presence of some Indians in the LTTE-held area in the Vanni.

An Indian holding passport (ETN/059/001/355/2001) was among seven persons attempting to cross the Indo-Lanka maritime boundary on Wednesday. Selvam Sudesh Kanan has claimed that he along with three other Indians arrived in the LTTE held area in the Vanni on January 10, 2003.

His boat would most probably have escaped if a special naval cordon had not been in place to discourage the Tamil Nadu fishing fleet from poaching in Sri Lankan waters. The SLN has placed the cordon following the detention of nearly 290 Indian trawlers poaching in Sri Lankan waters on July 2, which triggered protests in the Tamil Nadu.

After initial questioning in Mannar, the SLN had moved the Indian overland to Colombo to be handed over to the Indian High Commission.

Although the government has accepted Selvam’s claim that they were detained by the LTTE used as forced labour, the mystery surrounds the failure on the part of their families to raise the issue with the Sri Lankan mission in Chennai. The Tamil Nadu media, the Indian High Commission or the Norwegian-led truce monitoring mission deployed in the Northern and Eastern Province had not raised the issue, the sources said.

Sources pointed out that although Selvam had a valid Indian passport, he hadn’t entered Sri Lanka through the Bandaranaike International airport. "The bottom line is that he had entered the Vanni mainland clandestinely," an official said.

Read more,
http://www.island.lk/2008/07/18/news14.html
Photo,
MCNS

An Indian national escapes from LTTE custody and rescued by SL Navy

An Indian national (aged 28) who had been incarcerated by LTTE keeping under their arrest had managed to escape and was rescued by the navy, while he was making attempt to flee to India on a boat with seven other Sri Lankans, in the morning today (16thJuly)

He had come to Sri Lanka on 19th January 2003 with three other Indian nationals holding Indian passports and had travelled to Kiliochchi with the hope of visiting some of his relatives. But, denying their access to relatives, they had been arrested and questioned by LTTE cadres inflicting serious physical torture, and thereafter the had been made to shed physical labour.

He is said to be a resident in Madras, sources further say.

However, about three months before, he had been assigned to work in a garage belonging to LTTE which paved way for him to escape.

Extracted from,
http://www.navy.lk/index.php?id=897

Sri Lanka Navy denies the shooting of two fishermen from Nagapattinam

Sri Lanka Navy has denied of any involvement in the killing of two fishermen - Vasakan and Narayanasamy and seriously injuring Murali from Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu.

Reports revealed that those three fishermen from Nagapattinam were out on a boat in the sea on Sunday and was shot. Indian reports alleged that Indian fishermen were killed by Sri Lanka Navy.

When Asian Tribune contacted Sri Lanka Navy, sources in the Navy said that "Navy was nowhere in the Gulf of Mannar Sea yesterday, as it was a Sunday and was monitoring suspicious boat movements within Sri Lanka waters through radar located in their base in Talaimannar."

Sources further revealed that it was crystal clear that Sea Tigers of the LTTE were behind the killing of the two innocent Indian fishermen and injuring the third.

Sri Lanka Navy sources told Asian Tribune that Navy used to apprehend Indian Fishermen only those who strays into Sri Lankan territorial waters and poach in those sea area.

Read more,
http://www.asiantribune.com/?q=node/12204

Indian Navy to operate UAVs

The Indian Navy is the process of setting up facilities at the Naval Air Station at Uchipuli near here for operating two Israeli-built Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) to monitor the seas.

Naval Air Station officials said that Uchipuli was being upgraded into a regular commissioned Air Station so as to monitor coastal areas from Tuticorin to Chennai in the context of prolonged conflict between LTTE and Sri Lankan Army.

The decision to set up UAVs was taken after the visits of Vice Chief of Naval staff, Vice Admiral Raman Prem Suthan, Vice Admiral Nirmal Kumar Verma, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command, and Philip Val Haltren, Naval officer in charge, Tamil Nadu, at Rameswaram about a month ago, they said.

Among the facilities to be created at the Naval Air Station at Uchipuli to cater to the operation of UAVs are 6000 ft runway, a control room, service station for electronic gadgets and staff quarters, they said.

Since the UAV would fly at a higher altitude, steps should have to be taken to create 'excellent facilities' to operate them. The UAVs would help the Navy to monitor wider area of water surface continuously. With powerful sensor and radar, it would take pictures of even small boats and send images with exact location, the officials said.

Extracted from,
http://www.zeenews.com/articles.asp?aid=453630&sid=NAT

Sri Lanka frees 300 Indian trawlers

The trawlers were sailing towards the Tamil Tigers-held Vidattaltivu area in north-western Mannar district

Colombo: Sri Lanka has released all the 300-odd Indian fishing trawlers the navy seized while allegedly poaching in the island's territorial waters, after hours of through investigation.

Navy spokesman Commander D.K.P. Dassanayake said the 300 trawlers were sailing towards the Tamil Tigers-held Vidattaltivu area in north-western Mannar district when they were spotted and surrounded by the naval craft on routine patrol on Wednesday afternoon.

"The Indian trawlers were surrounded by naval craft between Delft and Thalaimannar islands and taken into custody. After investigation we released 299 trawlers by 10 in the night while the remaining one trawler was also released on Thursday morning," Commander Dassanayake told IANS.

"We found no suspicious items in their possession," he said, pointing out that the issue of Indian fishermen poaching in Sri Lanka's territorial waters was posing a huge threat to the country's security.

Read more,
http://news.in.msn.com/international/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1536495

SLN Repulsed LTTE attack on a naval out post Errukkalampiddi - Mannar

SLN foiled an attempt of LTTE to attack on the naval out post at Errukkalampiddy situated in the island of Mannar about three kilometres off the mainland, Vedithalthievu, around 0215 hrs today (11.June 2008) .The LTTE cadres arriving by a cluster of boats from the un-cleared area in Vedithalthievu made the attempt of mounting an abortive attack on the out post.

The naval troops thwarted the attempt of LTTE effectively countering the attack and in the confrontation ensued five LTTE cadres had been killed including the senior cadre named Sirimaran. Four sailors died in action and three others sustained minor injuries.

Extracted from,
http://www.navy.lk/index.php?id=859

Croatian muscle for Lankan Navy

Sri Lanka and Croatia are exploring the possibility of setting up a joint venture to build ships for the SLN.

Authoritative sources said Navy Commander Vice Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda during a recent visit to Croatia had discussed the proposed venture which would also involve the Colombo Dockyard Limited (CDL).

Karannagoda’s visit had been preceded by Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake’s tour of Croatia, the sources said, expressing confidence the project would be a reality and facilitate Sri Lanka’s efforts to enhance the operational capacity and capability of the SLN.

The SLN destroyed eight LTTE floating arsenals in separate operations conducted on the high seas beginning September 2006 to early October 2007. The sources said although the SLN had maximised the use of available assets to weaken the enemy’s ability to bring in fresh consignments of arms and ammunition, the need to acquire additional platforms couldn’t be further delayed, the sources said.

The sources said the SLN needed a range of vessels to strengthen the existing fleet to thwart Sea Tiger operations on the high seas and in the Palk Straits. A bilateral agreement between the two countries to build fighting vessels would be advantageous to Sri Lanka, a senior official said.

Read more,
http://www.island.lk/2008/06/09/news1.html

“India’s naval surveillance a big help to Sri Lanka”

India’s maritime “surveillance” has “helped” Sri Lanka in “a big way” in facing the challenge from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. Emphasising this, Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollogama told The Hindu that his country would continue to “advocate” that the international community take steps to dry up the sources of funding and other forms of support for the LTTE.

Outlining Sri Lanka’s diplomatic offensive in East Asia, Mr. Bogollogama, who was here to attend the ‘Shangri-La Dialogue,’ cited Australia for its efforts in moving against suspected pro-LTTE fund-raisers and front-men.

Asked whether the LTTE’s nucleus still remained intact, he said external assistance was needed to prevent “the supply of energy” to this core particle. While Canada, the United States, India, the United Kingdom, and the European Union had already proscribed the LTTE, Sri Lanka would not relent in its campaign for further actions by the international community.

“The navies of India and Sri Lanka are cooperating to the extent at which the interests of both countries are safeguarded vis-À-vis the threat that can emanate from the [maritime] movement of terrorists led by the LTTE.” He would not, however, describe this naval cooperation in any politically-sensitive terminology.

Read more,
http://www.hindu.com/2008/06/04/stories/2008060455721300.htm

Sri Lankan Troops Assist Flood Victims

Sri Lanka's Navy, Army and police have been placed to provide assistance to people hit by flash floods and landslides caused by torrential rains in different parts of the island, relief officials said Sunday.

"Navy boats were used to rescue people trapped in flooded areas, " Keerthi Ekanayake, the national coordinator of the National Disaster Management Center said.

Rains have lashed the southern districts of Galle and Kalutara, the southeastern districts of Kegalla and Ratnapura, and the central hilly areas since Friday.

Officials said some 5,000 families have been marooned by the floods while four people died.

The threat of flooding has also hit the Western Province with water levels rising in the river Kelani north of the capital Colombo.

"We have warned people living in low lying areas around the Kelani river," Ekanayake said.

Read more,
http://english.cri.cn/2947/2008/06/01/1321@364288.htm

3 LTTE boats destroyed, 15 killed in Army-Navy counter attacks- Jaffna

Army and Navy troops deployed at the Chiraththivu islet, Jaffna sprung an ambush killing at least 15 terrorists as troops claimed to have thwarted a pre-dawn LTTE infiltration attempt at the combined military detachment located between the Jaffna mainland and the Mandathivu island today (May 29).

One soldier was killed while another 2 suffered injuries in this incident. Two navy sailors and an army soldier reported missing in action, military sources added.

Later troops also have reportedly repulsed a second wave of offensive launched by LTTE in six boats towards the islet from non-liberated Ponneryn area, as sources said 3 LTTE boats destroyed and another heavily damaged and sunk in the shallow waters at around 2a.m. Troops have also mounted heavy artillery attacks towards the fleeing terrorists as enemy fatalities were expected to soar, military source said.

Chiraththivu is a small islet located in close proximity of the Jaffna- Mandathivu causeway.

Security Forces are now engaged in search operations in the area, while a military official said that efforts are been made to recover another LTTE boat partially sunk in the shallow waters off the Chiraththivu islet.

Extracted from,
http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20080529_07

Lankan navy detains 19 Indian fishermen

The Sri Lankan Navy has arrested 19 Indian fishermen on charges of poaching in Sri Lanka’s territorial waters.

The authorities here suspect the fishermen have also “smuggled in something” for the Tamil Tigers, a military spokesperson said.

“We have arrested 19 Indian fishermen with three dhows off Thalaimannar on Thursday. This time the issue is very serious because they were arrested while returning from the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) held territories such as Devil Point and Palaitivu,” said navy spokesperson Commander D K P Dassanayake.

Pointing out that India had banned fishing “during this breeding season”, he said the fishermen had “violated rules and regulations of their own land”.
“We strongly suspect that they might have smuggled in something for the LTTE,” Dassanayake told IANS.

Read more,
http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?

LTTE attack on Joint Fishing Marshalling Point a threat to fishermen

The Security Forces have established Joint Fishing Marshalling Points to provide assistance facilities to fishermen engaged in their profession lawfully.

This morning (05), LTTE terrorists launched an attack on a JOINT FISHING MARSHALLING POINT (JFMP) in KODDAMPIDDI , MANNAR around 2.25 in the early hours of today.

The LTTE had fled when Troops counter attacked in retaliation.

A soldier was injured while another was reported missing.

It is evident that the LTTE terrorist attack today on the JFMP in MANNAR signals not only a danger to the lives of fishermen but also a grave threat to their traditional occupation.

Extracted from,
http://www.nationalsecurity.lk/fullnews.php?id=12225