25 Sea Tigers killed in a sea confrontation: SLN

-LTTE were now cornered in an area of 6.5 sqkm
-Ground troops captured Rekthawaikkal junction

(April 29, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) “Sri Lanka Navy’s elite Special Boat Squadron (SBS) and Fast Attack Craft (FAC) destroyed six (06) LTTE sea tiger boats killing twenty-five (25) sea tigers in the seas of Mullaithivu on early morning hours today (29th April 2009),” said the Sri Lanka Navy in an official statement.

According to the Statement released by the Sri Lanka Navy, “the vigilant Naval troops engaged a combined cluster of sea tiger suicide and attack craft on their launching pad located in the No Fire Zone while attempting to set off on an attack mission on the advancing ground troops in the early hours of today. Four suicide craft laden with high explosives and two enemy attack craft mounted with higher caliber weapons were destroyed in the Naval gun fire forestalling their desperate mission.”

“One of the SLN craft was slightly damaged and one sailor received minor injuries to his left arm in the incident. Search and clear operations are still continuing.”

The round-the-clock vigilance maintained by alert Naval troops on continuous Naval patrol close to the now-fast-diminishing enemy stronghold, has been instrumental in thwarting LTTE’s last-ditch desperate sea tiger attacks on ground troops. The Navy’s patrol craft have recently been able to inflict heavy enemy cadre and vessel losses on the LTTE sea tigers on four consecutive occasions.

Meanwhile Military sources confirms , the security forces have gained control of the Rekthawaikkal junction.

The Defence Ministry website states that the 58th Division captured the junction last evening, during operations to rescue the remaining civilians held captive by the LTTE.

The Rekthawaikkal region is two kilometers south of Valayanmadam.

Meanwhile, the 53rd and 58th Divisions captured two LTTE earth bunds south and south-west of Valayanmadam yesterday.

Security sources note that the LTTE were now cornered in an area of 6.5 square kilometers.

-Sri Lanka Guardian