Dec 27, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s military announced air strikes inside rebel-held territory on Thursday, a day after a sea battle left a large number of combatants dead, according to both sides. He said security forces had already scored major victories against the guerrillas in the past year and hoped to build on them.
War planes bombed a suspected Tamil Tiger rebel naval unit at Mullaitivu around dawn inflicting heavy damages, the defence ministry said.
It gave no details of casualties, but said a “Sea Tiger” training camp of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was hit in Thursday’s air strikes.
The attack came after the defence ministry said the Sri Lankan navy had sunk 11 rebel boats killing at least 40 guerrillas.
The ministry said it lost one sailor killed while another 11 were listed as missing after the Tigers rammed a navy fast attack craft with two boats packed with explosives and manned by suicide cadres of the LTTE.
The Tigers said they lost only four of their suicide attackers known as “Black Sea Tigers” and claimed they sank a fast attack craft and damaged two more in Wednesday’s battle off the island’s northern coast.
Sri Lanka is pressing for