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| Sri Lanka |
| 6 killed, 18 injured in rebel air, land attack on Sri Lankan base |
| 2007-10-22 |
| COLOMBO —Tamil Tiger rebels' aircraft bombed an air force base in a daring predawn attack Monday in northern Sri Lanka that also involved ground fighting, resulting in at least six deaths, according to information from both sides. The army said the government side's casualties include two air force pilots and two gunners killed when their helicopter crash-landed amid the attack on Anuradhapura air base, located in North Central Province, about 170 kilometers northeast of Colombo. In addition, ground fighting between the rebels and government troops resulted in the death of an air force officer and an army soldier, it said, while also acknowledging 18 injuries. Two Russian-made MI-24 gunships that had been parked in a hanger were damaged, it said, in a statement on its website. The army cited unconfirmed reports of 10 rebels being killed. "This is the first time the Tigers have carried out both air and ground attacks in a raid," said the TamilNet website of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. The first news of the early morning air strike stunned Sri Lankans fed in recent weeks by government propaganda on military successes in the wake of the eviction of the separatist rebels from the multiethnic Eastern Province earlier this year. "Tiger terrorists in a predawn ground attack tried to overrun the air force base with the support of two LTTE light aircraft," the army said in the statement. "Two shells were dropped immediately after the ground attack by the infiltrators," it said. The Sri Lanka Air Force has in recent weeks been bombing LTTE positions almost on a daily basis, with government air power posing a major threat to the rebels. The LTTE, using what the government says are small Czech-made light aircraft powered by a single engine, first demonstrated air capability by bombing the main air force base adjoining the country's only international airport in March this year. The government beefed up its air defenses following that attack, which was followed by two more that caused little damage. |
| Posted by:anonymous5089 |
| #3 using what the government says are small Czech-made light aircraft powered by a single engine Previously, the Tigers were dropping hand-help bombs from crop dusters. More of the same? I don't know why this 'small war' fascinates me. so. Maybe it is the high-school football rivalry quality it has. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2007-10-22 11:23 |
| #2 "5 O'Clock |
| Posted by: Frank G 2007-10-22 06:53 |
| #1 Ops, forgot there is a "sri lanka" section. I did resist the urge of posting a Colombo or Super Mario pic, though. |
| Posted by: anonymous5089 2007-10-22 04:25 |