LTTE attack on Trincomalee aborted

COLOMBO, NOV 5: LTTE suicide boats launched an abortive attack on a key harbour in Sri Lanka’s east, the second in two weeks, in which a rebel boat was destroyed amid efforts by Norway to push for resumption of peace talks between the government and the Tigers.

Lankan Army spokesman Brigadier Sanat Karunaratna said the boat was destroyed by the navy which countered the attack on the eastern Trincomalee harbour with Israeli high speed Dovra craft last night, when three LTTE boats tried to sneak into the Port under the cover of darkness.

Two rebel boats managed to escape, he added.

This was the second attack on Trincomalee harbour since October 23. Three LTTE suicide boats were destroyed in the previous attack while rebels shot down an army helicopter and sunk a naval personnel carrier, killing four helicopter crew members and two naval sailors.

The attack comes four days after the meeting between Norwegian peace envoy Eric Solheim and LTTE leader V Prabhakaran during which the rebel leader favoured a new round of unconditional peace talks with the government.