LTTE aircraft and ground troops, in a two pronged assault, attack the Sri Lankan air force base in Anuradhapura.
The military reports that 9 servicemen were killed inside the base and 20 others were wounded in the attack, while four crew aboard a helicopter gunship were killed when it crash-landed.
Sources
Sri Lanka Tiger rebel planes bomb airforce base, Reuters, 22 October 2007; Probe into Lanka air base attack, BBC, 23 October 2007.
Quotations
“We have found 20 bodies of LTTE cadres inside the base and we are doing a search operation to see if there are any more. This will not deviate us from the fight against terrorism”. Keheliya Rambukwella, Defence spokesman
“It was a combined operation of our air force and land troops and the target was the Anuradhapura air base, which functions as the logistics (base for the north),”We have not ruled out the potential of more similar attacks in the future. It is the biggest operation of the Black Tigers since 1987. We damaged eight of their aircraft at the base”. Rasiah Ilanthiraiyan, LTTE military spokesman.
