Sri Lanka jets bomb LTTE radio station

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan war planes on Tuesday bombed and destroyed the main transmitting tower of the Tamil Tiger's radio station, the guerrillas said.   

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said Kfir jets attacked their "Voice of Tigers" transmitting facility in the northern town of Kokkavil.   

"The VOT is the only radio broadcasting service that is outside the government of Sri Lanka control area and thus able to broadcast without the usual threats posed by the government-operated forces," the Tigers said.   

The VOT used to operate as a clandestine radio, but the station received official government recognition after rebels entered into a ceasefire agreement with Colombo in February 2002.   

The defence ministry confirmed jets carried out bomb attacks in the north, a day after the guerrillas executed their deadliest-ever suicide bombing that killed 103 people, most of them sailors, according to a tally by hospitals.   

"Attacks on media is a hallmark of Sri Lankan governments," the Tigers said in a statement.   

"There have been a record number of attacks on media persons, press offices, and newspaper distributors. The attack of the VOT tower joins this long list of attacks on media," the Tigers said.