SLAF say missile brought gunship down

[TamilNet, Monday, 10 November 1997, 23:59 GMT]
The SLAF confirmed that a missile fired by the Liberation Tigers brought down the Mi 24 helicopter gunship over the Kokkilai lagoon.

Of the four Sri Lankan security forces personnel in the Mi 24 one is believed to be dead.

The Kokkilai lagoon separates the Trincomalee district from the Mullaithivu district. The Ilmenite rich Pulmoddai lies on its southern edge and on the northern edge is the village of Kokkuththoduvai which is under the SLA. The lagoon opens into the sea at Nayaaru.

The lagoon's hinterland was made part of the Weli Oya military zone where a large number of Sinhalese were settled after forcibly evacuating thousands of Tamils in 1984.

Sources close to the army in Colombo expressed surprise that the LTTE has been able to enter the lagoon and fire a missile at the helicopter.

The LTTE is yet to confirm this attack.