Ltte weapons ships sunk

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Sun Sep 17, 12:41 PM ET

COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lankan government troops and Tamil Tiger rebels exchanged gunfire and skirmished at sea on Sunday, bringing to an end a four-day lull in fighting around the besieged Jaffna peninsula.
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Residents reported brief exchanges of gunfire south of Jaffna near a vital road artery as well as a volley of artillery fire from both sides.

A military spokesman said Sri Lankan naval vessels and "Sea Tigers" from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) also clashed at sea and that one rebel boat had been sunk.

In a statement, the national security media center said a large vessel carrying weapons and ammunition had been sunk 100 miles off Kalmunai.

It said the unflagged vessel had opened fire on a Sri Lankan navy ship when ordered to halt and was subsequently sunk by navy and air force fire.

"Large quantities of weapons and ammunition including artillery guns had submerged with the vessel," the statement said, without saying how this may have been confirmed.

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Well Done:yes: :yes: :yes: :yes: :yes: :yes:

[sld]

Sri Lanka forces sink LTTE arms ship
Sunday, September 17, 2006, 13:56 GMT, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
"This is yet another attempt of the LTTE at hoodwinking the international community."

Sept 17, Colombo: Sri Lanka's Media Centre for National Security says the Navy and Air Force in a joint operation successfully destroyed and sank a large vessel carrying weapons and ammunition for the LTTE this morning.

The vessel, sailing in the deep seas around one hundred nautical miles off Kalmunai, was destroyed and large quantities of weapons and ammunition including artillery guns sunk with the vessel, the Media Centre for National Security said.

The statement said the vessel, sailing in the deep seas without a flag, had completely ignored warning shots fired by a Navy patrol craft to stop. The vessel instead opened fire at the Navy craft.

Subsequently the Navy with the assistance of the Air Force destroyed the suspicious vessel. It is now confirmed that the vessel had illegally carried weapons and ammunition for the LTTE, said the Media Centre for National Security.

"This incident clearly indicates the motives of some organizations that are seeking to protect the LTTE following their humiliating defeats in the Northern and the Eastern regions," the Media Center said.

"This is yet another attempt of the LTTE at hoodwinking the international community," it further challenged. "The LTTE has opted for peace talks every time when they were weakened by the Security Forces. This is a clear instance that proves that the LTTE is buying time to procure arms and strengthen themselves. Through these acts it is not difficult to realize the ulterior motives of the LTTE. However, the successful operation carried out by the Security Forces to destroy this vessel is a great victory to the Government."