3RD LEAD (PHOTOS, NAME DETAILS ADDED)

Sea Tigers sink 2 Sri Lankan attack crafts, seize armament, capture troopers

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 November 2006, 12:45 GMT]
A Sea Tiger flotilla clashed with Sri Lanka Navy in the Northern waters killing 25 SLN troopers, capturing 4 troopers alive and destroying two Dvora Fast Attack Crafts, LTTE's Military Spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan told TamilNet. The two Dvora FACs were seized and the Sea Tigers dismantled all the armament including a 23 mm cannon and a HK AGL gun. Dead body of a SLN trooper was also recovered by the Tigers. The clash erupted as Sea Tigers engaged in training activities were provoked by Sri Lanka Navy vessels in the seas off Nagarkovil in LTTE territorial waters, according to the Tiger spokesman. A third Dvora FAC was damaged. Five Sea Tigers were killed in close gunbattle, he said.



A 23 mm Cannon, five PK-LMGs, four 50 calibre guns and an Auto Heckler-Koch Grenade Launcher with ammunition were seized by the Sea Tigers.

Two Dvora's, P461 and P416, were sunk and a third Dvora sustained damage.

Reporters in Kilinochchi were allowed to meet the four SLN personnel who were captured by the Tigers Thursday night.

Meanwhile, Sri Lankan naval officials in Colombo claimed that the Dvora FACs which came under attack east of Point Pedro were escorting a vessel "Green Ocean‚" with 300 troopers on board.

The Tiger Spokesman denied the Sri Lankan claim and said there was no ship observed during the clashes. The clashes took place amid Kfir jet bombers and military helicopters attempting to attack the Sea Tiger vessels, he said.

He also refuted Sri Lankan Navy officilas claim that seven Sea Tiger boats were destroyed.

The Sea Tiger flotillas under the Command of Deputy Commander of Sea Tigers, Cheliyan, safely returned to their base in Vanni with captured armaments, all LTTE vessels and the recovered body, he quoted Sea Tiger Special Commander Col. Soosai as saying.



A Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) Dvora Fast Attack Craft (FAC) was sunk by a Sea Tiger flotilla around 5:30 p.m. Thursday in the seas off Point Pedro and another SLN gunboat was damaged around 6:00 p.m. off Valvettithurai by the same flotilla which chased the SLN vessels into Kankesanthurai harbour, eyewitness reports in Vadamaradchi said.

Two Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Kfir bombers flew over the waters attempting to chase the Sea Tiger flotilla, the eyewitness reports from Point Pedro said.

LTTE military spokesman in Kilinochchi further said that the Sri Lanka Army was continuing heavy artillery shelling in Muhamaalai and Nagarkovil FDL areas.

Three SLN personnel captured by the LTTE from P461 Dvora FAC were: Indika Prasantha Pitiyakuburua, 30, (SLN registration number: EE17275) Mechanical Engineer from 37C, Kirinthiweva, Pundulu Oya, Nuwara Eliya, Samintha Kumara Hewage, 28, (XS 25749), Leading Seaman, Peliyakante, Kallewela and Kamal Hemantha Kumarasiri, 26, (XS 29966), Pathavi Parakramapura, Anuradhapura.

Anil Piryanke Madatheniya, 21, (SS38801), Ordinary Seaman from Nalanta, Matare was wounded in the clash and rescued from the SLN vessel P416, Sea Tiger officials said.



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