Sri Lanka’s Navy destroyed a suspected Tamil Tiger boat and damaged another off the island’s northeast coast before dawn on Monday killing around 10 rebels, officials said. The rebel boat sank around 40 km north of the strategic northeastern harbour of Trincomalee, and sailors found what they believe to be the remains of a slain suicide bomber in the damaged boat. “The Navy detected two boats at around 4:30 in the morning... and we have engaged in the sea and from land,” said Navy Spokesman Commander DKP Dassanayake. “We have destroyed one boat and recovered another fitted with weapons.” It was not clear how many people were aboard the boats, but Dassanayake said he suspected around 10 Tamil Tigers were killed and the Navy was scouring the sea for bodies.
In a seperate incident Sri LankaÂ’s air force bombed areas controlled by Tamil Tiger rebels in the islandÂ’s volatile north on Monday, a pro-rebel Web site said. Bombs were dropped into rebel-held Mullaitivu district in the morning, TamilNet website reported, without giving details.