Monday, 22 October 2007

At a special news briefing held in Colombo Defence Spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella stated that there had been a predawn ground attack on the Army Camp, Anuradhapura in the North Central Province around 3.30 am today (22) by the LTTE terrorists.

22 of the highly trained and suicide LTTE carders were killed by the forces in the groud confrontation to the East of the camp. The Minister emphasized that terrorism is a cancer and has to be eradicated. Instances of this nature are not uncommon in a terrorist war situation.

The LTTE now desperate due to the liberation of the East and the pressure building up in the North that they sort to uplift their image by this attack. Bodies of the killed hardcore terrorists are to be handed over to the ICRC. The fighting on the Forward Defence Line is now under control of the forces. The air force is continuing its attack on possible LTTE targets.

In this attack two M1-24 and one K-8 Jet trainer were damaged. In a separate incident related to this attack one Bell-212 which had arrived from Vavuniya to counter attack the two LTTE air crafts that had reached Anuradhapura had crashed in Mihinthale due to a technical error was caught up in flames and destroyed together with two pilots and two trainees. Two LTTE crafts had returned to their destinations after disposing two bombs. SL Air Force is continuing its search operations.

The Sri Lankan forces had to retaliate cautiously to avoid any injury or damage to civilian life and property.

It is suspected that the LTTE crafts may have gone back to Iranamadu aerodrome. In the Ground battle they used small arms and not heave caliber weapons. No civilians were injured in this attack. The Government is looking for any lapses, if any on the ground situation.