Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06COLOMBO1564
2006-09-25 10:51:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Colombo
Cable title:
SRI LANKA: NAVY AIDED BY AIR FORCE SINKS SEA TIGER
how-toVZCZCXRO8741 OO RUEHBI DE RUEHLM #1564 2681051 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 251051Z SEP 06 FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4321 INFO RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 9427 RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 6327 RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 4372 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 3188 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 9962 RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 3279 RUEHSM/AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM 0377 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2357 RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 6884 RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI 4742 RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1361
C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 001564
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/25/2016
TAGS: PREL PTER PHUM PREF MOPS CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: NAVY AIDED BY AIR FORCE SINKS SEA TIGER
BOATS OFF TRINCOMALEE COAST
REF: A. COLOMBO 1541
B. COLOMBO 1531 AND PREVIOUS
Classified By: DCM James R. Moore for reasons 1.4(b,d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 001564
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/25/2016
TAGS: PREL PTER PHUM PREF MOPS CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: NAVY AIDED BY AIR FORCE SINKS SEA TIGER
BOATS OFF TRINCOMALEE COAST
REF: A. COLOMBO 1541
B. COLOMBO 1531 AND PREVIOUS
Classified By: DCM James R. Moore for reasons 1.4(b,d).
1. (U) The Government of Sri Lanka (GSL) Media Center for
National Security (MCNS) said that on September 24 the Sri
Lanka Navy (SLN) aided by the Sri Lanka AIR FORCE (SLAF)
intercepted 25 "Sea Tiger" boats off the coast 50 miles north
of Trincomalee, sinking 11. Independent media reported
security forces had sunk eight Liberation Tigers of Tamil
Eelam (LTTE) boats. Military spokesman Brigadier Prasad
Samarasinghe said 14 boats had retreated after security
forces killed approximately 70 (Note: this number is likely
inflated) LTTE cadres. The pro-LTTE Tamilnet website did not
report the incident.
2. (C) Brigadier Samarasinghe told us that the LTTE boats
were part of a supply convoy carrying ammunitions south from
a Sea Tiger base at Mulaitivu in the LTTE-controlled Wanni.
A SLN source in Trincomalee told ODC FSN that the LTTE boats
were either carrying reinforcement weapons to
Tiger-controlled areas south of Trincomalee or were meant as
a diversion as other LTTE boats unloaded a possible deep
water weapons supply ship similar to the one that was
intercepted by the SLN on September 17 (ref B). The source
claimed that three of eleven boats sunk by security forces
had exploded, meaning they were likely carrying weapons. He
added that three SLN sailors had been wounded in the battle.
3. (U) Meanwhile on September 24, LTTE cadres fired mortars
at two Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camps in the eastern district of
Batticaloa, and the eastern LTTE-breakaway Karuna faction
attacked an LTTE camp in Vavunativu, Batticaloa. No
casualties were reported in these incidents.
BLAKE
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/25/2016
TAGS: PREL PTER PHUM PREF MOPS CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: NAVY AIDED BY AIR FORCE SINKS SEA TIGER
BOATS OFF TRINCOMALEE COAST
REF: A. COLOMBO 1541
B. COLOMBO 1531 AND PREVIOUS
Classified By: DCM James R. Moore for reasons 1.4(b,d).
1. (U) The Government of Sri Lanka (GSL) Media Center for
National Security (MCNS) said that on September 24 the Sri
Lanka Navy (SLN) aided by the Sri Lanka AIR FORCE (SLAF)
intercepted 25 "Sea Tiger" boats off the coast 50 miles north
of Trincomalee, sinking 11. Independent media reported
security forces had sunk eight Liberation Tigers of Tamil
Eelam (LTTE) boats. Military spokesman Brigadier Prasad
Samarasinghe said 14 boats had retreated after security
forces killed approximately 70 (Note: this number is likely
inflated) LTTE cadres. The pro-LTTE Tamilnet website did not
report the incident.
2. (C) Brigadier Samarasinghe told us that the LTTE boats
were part of a supply convoy carrying ammunitions south from
a Sea Tiger base at Mulaitivu in the LTTE-controlled Wanni.
A SLN source in Trincomalee told ODC FSN that the LTTE boats
were either carrying reinforcement weapons to
Tiger-controlled areas south of Trincomalee or were meant as
a diversion as other LTTE boats unloaded a possible deep
water weapons supply ship similar to the one that was
intercepted by the SLN on September 17 (ref B). The source
claimed that three of eleven boats sunk by security forces
had exploded, meaning they were likely carrying weapons. He
added that three SLN sailors had been wounded in the battle.
3. (U) Meanwhile on September 24, LTTE cadres fired mortars
at two Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camps in the eastern district of
Batticaloa, and the eastern LTTE-breakaway Karuna faction
attacked an LTTE camp in Vavunativu, Batticaloa. No
casualties were reported in these incidents.
BLAKE