SLAF Kfir bomber comes down in Negombo

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 October 2006, 13:46 GMT]
A Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Israeli-built Kfir bomber came down as it took off to bomb LTTE territory Monday evening at 5:45 p.m. The Kfir jet fell into the Negombo lagoon.

The pilot ejected himself from the Kfir before it came down, according to Sri Lankan military spokesman Prasad Samarasinghe.

The Kfir (Young Lion in hebrew) multi-role combat aircrafts form the main offensive component of the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) and have been used in the last few months to demonstrate the air superiority of the SLAF. Bombing raids have inflicted much destruction to infrastructure in LTTE controlled areas and have resulted in several civilian casualties.

Recently 55 school girls and staffers were killed in a raid on a residential academic camp in Vallipunam in Mullaithivu.

Kfirs are fitted with GE J-79 engines that can carry a total external payload of 5,500 kg (12,100 pounds).

Chronology:


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