SL Navy destroys another LTTE arms vessel

10th recent loss to LTTE arms fleet
[Sunday, October 07, 2007 - 13.47 GMT]    

SL Navy today (07) destroyed another LTTE arms carrying vessel in the high seas 1,200 km (approx 600 nautical miles) off Dondra Head, the southern extremity of Sri Lanka.  LTTE vessel identified as MV "Matshusima" was intercepted and destroyed by Naval Sea units after a long pursuit, security sources said.

 
The 70 m long vessel with displacement of 3,000 tons carrying a large consignment of military equipment and warlike materiel had 12 to 15 LTTE cadres on board at the time it was destroyed. This is the 10th vessel of the LTTE's arms smuggling fleet destroyed in recent months by the Sri Lanka Navy.

Reports said the vessel, part of the LTTE’s floating arms warehouse in the high seas, was believed to be transferring high-speed motor scooters, sophisticated diving apparatus, outboard motors, radar and global positioning (GPS) equipment, power transmission equipment and communications interception equipment for the proscribed terror outfit.

 
Defence sources said that after one and half day's surveillance of the vessel, the naval task unit approached it around 5.30 this morning. The Navy gun-ships had rounded up the suspicious vessel which had no ensign or name on it and ordered it to identify itself, using international challenging procedures. Instead of providing the information to the Navy, the suspicious ship had opened medium range caliber gun fire towards the navy ships compelling retaliation, causing the ship to be destroyed around 9.30a.m.

 
Defence sources said, the attack took place in the Indian Ocean, at the high seas off Dondra Head. According to available information the SL Naval task group comprising Off Shore Patrol vessels "SLNS Sayura", "SLNS Sagara", Fast Attack Vessel "SLNS Suranimila" and Rendezvous vessel 521 were engaged in this Naval operation.

Last month the Sri Lanka Navy destroyed three other arms carrying vessels of the LTTE also in international waters off the south of Sri Lanka.

Defence observers consider this another major strike by the Navy at incapacitating LTTE's international arms smuggling fleet. The Navy has recently been able to destroy nine arms carrying LTTE ships, causing considerable damage to the LTTE's arms smuggling and gun-running activities.