By Sunil Jayasiri
The LTTE carried out a surprise air attack on the Trincomalee Naval base last night, causing minor damage and creating tension in the surrounding areas.
A military official told Daily Mirror that two light aircraft had dropped at least two bombs near the Harbour dockyard at around 9.00 pm and both had exploded making loud sounds and injuring at least four sailors. The airplanes had turned away
when Navy personnel on the ground opened fire at them.
He said the LTTE planes had come from the direction of the sea off Mullaitivu and were first detected by Trincomalee radars: "The target could have been troops boarding the Jaffna bound troop carrier 'Jet Liner'."
The official added that: "the bombs that exploded failed to inflict much damage."
He said that soon after the radars detected the rebel aircraft, the air defence system in the area was activated and all the military installations alerted.
Meanwhile, speaking to Daily Mirror, government Defence Spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukkwella said that the Tiger aircraft may have attempted to target the Navy's "Jet Liner" ship that was loaded with food items to be transported to Jaffna for distribution among the people there.
"The radar system had picked up the rebel aircraft and the navy was able to successfully retaliate and chase away the light aircraft," he said.
Meanwhile, an Air Force official said that several air force combat helicopters and attack aircraft capable of intercepting and attacking the aircraft in the air, took off from Vavuniya and Anuradhapura in order to attack the rebel aircraft.
Meanwhile the LTTE said that heavy explosions rocked Trincomalee Harbour at around 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday raising tensions in Trincomalee town. It added that troops along the Trincomalee harbour continuously fired towards sky for about half an hour following the attack. Sri Lanka Air Force Kfir bombers were seen over Ki'linochchi during the reported attack in Trincomalee, it added.
Trincomalee hospital sources said that 14 injured persons had been admitted to hospital following the attack.
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