5 Sea Tiger boats destroyed - SLN
[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 April 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Navy (SLN) in Trincomalee claimed this morning that it's Fast Attack Craft (FAC) had engaged and destroyed 5 sea Tiger boats in the seas off the north-eastern coast of the island between Thiriyai and Pulmoddai last night.
SLN sources said that it's FAC's had observed fifteen sea Tiger boats speeding from Semmalai on the Mullaithivu coast in the direction of Trincomalee last night around 9.30 p.m. and had engaged them in a sea battle for more than four hours. They said that five Sea Tigers boats were destroyed and two more were damaged in the fierce fighting. The remaining Sea Tiger craft had later retreated towards Semmalai said the SLN sources in Trincomalee. They claimed that it is estimated that ten Sea Tigers may have got killed in the fighting. The SLN had not sustained any damages, they said. The LTTE is yet to issue a statement on last night's sea battle. Meanwhile, a fisherman from Irakkakkandy north of Trincomalee, identified as Aatham, 30, who was fishing in the area where the Sea Tigers and the SLN had fought was killed by gun fire said sources. Aatham is a resident of Thaqbanagar in Muthur and had come to Irakkakkandy to ply his trade. Six other fishermen who were also fishing in the area where the SLN claims it had engaged the Sea Tigers in battle were wounded, sources said.
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