At least 25 Tamil Tigers were killed and 10 of their boats destroyed in a major clash on Thursday between the Sri Lankan Navy and Sea Tigers in the sea off the northern coast.
COLOMBO: At least 25 Tamil Tigers were killed and 10 of their boats destroyed in a major clash on Thursday between the Sri Lankan Navy and Sea Tigers in the sea off the northern coast, an official said.
Navy spokesman Commander DKP Dassanayake said the mid-sea clash broke out around 11.00 am when a fleet of navy attack craft pursued a cluster of Sea Tiger boats at Iranaitivu, five nautical miles north of Nachchikkuda. The clash lasted nearly three hours.
"We believe about 25 Sea Tigers have been killed. Three large boats and three small boats of the Sea Tigers were completely destroyed during this clash," Commander Dassanayake said.
"Only two navy sailors were wounded and there was no damage to the naval craft," he said, adding the elite boat squadron of the navy was called to engage reinforcements from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
There was no immediate reaction from the rebels. The Sea Tigers are the LTTE's naval wing.
According to informed sources, Nachchikkuda, a coastal village located on the west of rebel-held Kilinochchi town, 320 km north of here, is the last LTTE naval base on the western coast of the island.
The sea battle off Nachchikkuda came a day after heavy land battle there between advancing government troops and the Tigers.
The military said the troops had captured about 1.5 km stretch of well-fortified forward defences from the rebels in clashes that left at least 25 rebels and six soldiers dead and a dozen more wounded on both sides.
Thousands have died in fighting between the LTTE and the military since late 2005. The military is presently engaged in efforts to wrest territory in the north controlled by the LTTE.
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