Colombo, January 7
Fifteen Sri Lankan sailors were killed today when suspected Tamil Tigers blew up a naval gunboat in a pre-dawn suicide attack that caused the biggest military loss of life in a single incident since the Norwegian-arranged truce went into effect four years ago.
"We believe this is the work of the LTTE," Defence Ministry spokesman Prasad Samarasinghes said.
Initial reports said there were a crew of 15 aboard the craft, but later the military said there had been a total of 17 sailors, two of whom were rescued by another craft that was sent to the area. Among the 15 crewmen listed as dead, two were officers.
With the latest attack, the number of persons killed in clashes since December climbed to over 115, according to official figures.
On December 22, the Tigers sank a smaller navy patrol craft together with three sailors in the north-western waters of Mannar.
Several naval craft were deployed for a major search off Trincomalee from where the boats had set asail. But at first light the navy was still trying to locate the wreckage of the Israeli-built dvora that was blasted out of the water.
There had been some fishing boats in the area at the time of the blast and the sources believed that a boat packed with explosives was used to attack the naval craft.
The LTTE is known to have carried out suicide attacks against naval craft in the past. In April 1995, the Tigers infiltrated the Trincomalee harbour and blasted two craft anchored there.
The Trincomalee region has been tense since the killing of five students allegedly by government forces on Monday.
— PTI
