Major victory for Navy’s new Boat Squadrons off Nachchikuda:
Confronted a flotilla of Tiger boats destroying 10 of them and damaging four others after a fierce battle that continued for three to four hours yesterday.
Navy Spokesman Commander D.K.P. Dassanayaka told the Daily News that Navy boats detected this Tiger boat movement when a fleet of small boats of the SBS and the RABS were patrolling the north east of Nachchikuda.
“The sea battle began around 11.30 a.m. yesterday and continued for over three hours till 3.00 p.m with the Navy destroying three of their large attack craft and seven small boats. The LTTE Sea Tiger cadres fled with four other damaged boats,” the Spokesman added.
“When the Navy small attack craft observed and approached the cluster of suspected boats, they opened fire at the Navy boats.
The sailors successfully retaliated the Sea Tigers intensifying fire and destroying 10 of their boats,” Commander Dassanayaka said.
”Twenty five Sea Tiger cadres were believed to have killed during the battle and two sailors sustained injuries,” the Spokesman added. One succumbed to his injuries.
According to latest reports around 15 to 16 Tiger boats have been confronted by the Navy during the fierce sea battle in the sea off Nachchikuda targeting the Navy boats patrolling the area.
The Navy believes that the Sea Tiger cadres have withdrawn towards Nachchikuda area along with their remaining boats and damaged boats.
The Sri Lanka Navy has intensified patrolling in the North Western coast with ground troops confronting the LTTE in the South of Nachchikuda in their bid to capture the Nachchikuda Sea Tiger base which has been strongly defended by the LTTE.
At present Sea Tigers are fast losing the areas they can launch their boats to the sea with the ground troops capturing the areas dominated by the LTTE along the North Western and Eastern coast.
The SBS and RABS is the latest concept of the Navy to control the Sea Tiger activities in the Northern and Eastern seas using indigenously made small boats by the Sri Lanka Navy. Yesterday’s battle was considered as a major Sea Tiger attack foiled by the Navy using the boats squadrons of the RABS and the SBS.
The Sea Tiger boats which deployed from Nachchikuda were moving towards the Iranativu island when the navy detected the LTTE movement, he added.
Commander Dassanayaka said at least 25 Tiger cadres were killed and many others injured in the sea battle. Three sailors sustained injuries in action.
According to Military sources, the LTTE boats were commanded to retreat from confrontation as the Sea Tigers were facing heavy damages in the fierce fight. Intercepted LTTE communications disclosed that the sea attack was led by a senior sea Tiger cadre identified as Kader.
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