Sri Lanka sinks suspected rebel boats near capital
Source: Reuters
COLOMBO, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's navy sank three suspected Tamil Tiger craft off the capital's main harbour early on Saturday, but it was too early to tell if it was an attempted suicide attack, the military said. Navy fast-attack boats sank one of the vessels 6 nautical miles from Colombo harbour, the island's main cargo hub, and chased two others out to sea, sinking them as well, a spokesman for the Media Centre for National Security said. "Navy patrol boats detected three suspicious boats entering into restricted waters off the Colombo high-security zone. The Navy fired warning shots, but they ignored them," the spokesman said, asking not to be named. "The Navy fired at the boats. One was destroyed and the other two turned and headed to deep sea," he added. "Fast-attack boats followed them and destroyed them. It's very clear they are Tamil Tiger boats. It's too early to say if it was a suicide attack." He said the boats were small fibreglass craft and it was not clear how many people were aboard. There were no survivors and the Tigers were not available for comment. The incident, around 125 miles (200 km) south of the rebels' nearest coastal territory, comes as analysts fear a new chapter in a two-decade civil war is about to escalate. More than 67,000 people have died in the conflict since 1983. Emboldened by the capture of a key Tamil Tiger stronghold in the east, Sri Lanka has vowed to go on the offensive to destroy the rebels' entire military machine in the apparent belief it can finally win the war. But observers expect the Tigers to hit back. Analysts say the government and military are underestimating the rebels, expect the conflict to deepen and see no clear winner.
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