LTTE shells hit Palaly, civilians urged to move

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 August 2006, 20:13 GMT]
Two Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) helicopters, an Mi-24 gunship and a Bell 212 transport, were damaged by LTTE shells which hit the base Friday night, military sources said. The LTTE Friday vowed to repel a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) offensive on the Elephant Pass area and warned people living close to SLA positions in Thenmaradchchi and some of the islands off Jaffna, including the troubled Allaipiddy, to move away from Sri Lanka military positions for their own safety.

Sri Lankan military officials in Colombo speaking on condition of anonymity said that at least two helicopters at Palaly airbase were damaged by LTTE shells Friday night.

They could not get details of the aerial attack on Palaly reported Friday night but quoted SLA officers at Palaly as saying the base had come under LTTE artillery fire.

Meanwhile, the LTTE’s official radio, Voice of Tigers (VoT), in a special broadcast at 1.30 a.m. local time warned people in Jaffna islets, including Allaipidy area, to move away from SLA, SLN positions as these could be targeted by LTTE artillery.

Earlier, the VoT urged civilians living close to SLA positions in Thenmaradchchi to move away also, saying that LTTE artillery fire responding to the SLA offensive would target camps there.

Meanwhile, the Superintendent of Police in Jaffna, Erik Perera, imposed an indefinite curfew from 7:00 p.m. Friday in Jaffna.