4TH LEAD

Colombo in dark following airstrike alarm

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 April 2007, 20:11 GMT]
Power supply was cut off in Colombo at 1:10 a.m. Sunday when the city was watching the Cricket world cup final match. Sri Lanka Air Force personnel opened fire in the air and Sri Lankan armed forces from their positions in Colombo, Ratmalana, Wattala, Negombo, Kolonnawa, Rajagiriya and other suburbs of the city began firing tracer bullets into the air. Chaos and pandemonium prevail in Sri Lanka's capital.

Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) said their air defence system was activated as their radars detected two suspicious aircrafts.

Explosions were heard and paralights were fired into the air from various locations.

Gas and Oil storage tanks in Keravelapitiya in Wattela, 10 km north of Colombo were hit, and three oil tanks are on fire, Wattela residents said.

Liberation Tigers has not commented on the air-strike.

Meanwhile, at least two Sri Lanka Air Force bombers dropped 8 bombs in Visuvamadu area in Vanni at 1:15 a.m., sources in Kilinochchi said.

Casualty details are not available.