Entering the capital using a toy like plane without being traced, striking the destined target with some outmoded bombs and inflicting heavy damage and above all inspite of sophisticated F-7, MI- 24 and PT6 aircrafts deployed to intercept the Tamil Tiger plane, the rebel planes return to their base safely.
Even though the government in Colombo play down the latest Tamil Tiger air raid as nuisance, the emerging details confirm that their air raid getting deadly as each sortie they fly, says military expert in Colombo.
The lights at the Bandaranaike International Airport was also switched off as a precautionary measure on Tuesday night. But the airport authorities later said that the situation is back to normal quickly on the night and the flights are operated with out any delays.
But the details emerged now indicate that two passenger flights, Cathay Pacific and Thai Airways were diverted to Chennai during the incident to ensure passenger safety. The two flights later flew into Colombo and left for their onward destinations in the early hours of the morning with delays.
The Power and Energy Minister John Seneviratne told journalists earlier that the damage to the Kelanitissa power station is minimal. But later he said, Two turbines of the Kelanitissa power station were damaged in the LTTE air attack on Tuesday night and it would take at least six months to restore them.
“Assessing the financial loses would take some time as no survey was done to determine the physical damage. The bombs had pierced through the concrete roof of the installation which is one foot in thickness and had fallen on one turbine and on the cooler of the GT 7 turbine,” he further said. The damaged turbines have the capacity to generate 165 MV of power through gas and steam. A sinhala paper claimed this will result is a loss of about Rs. 240 lakhs per day for the government.
An authoritative source said that Chinese F7s launched from Katunayake air base had failed to zero-in-on the enemy aircraft. "Their (F7s) missile systems failed to ‘lock on with the enemy aircraft," the source said. This would necessitate an overall review of the SLAF’s strategy, the source said. The military asserted that the LTTE could try to exploit the situation.
The initial detection had been made north-east of Mannar at 10.18 p.m. by 2D radar installed by the Government of India at the SLAF base at Vavuniya.
Thaladdi had come under attack within minutes after the detection, the source said.
Both the Indian radar and a Chinese 3D radar station located in the Western Province had detected the enemy aircraft but interceptors failed to carry out a successful missile strike. 2D radar provides direction and the distance of a target whereas the Chinese radar provides even the altitude of a target.
Timesnow yesterday showed how cd's were distributed in villages which were propaganda cd's of LTTE. It showed gory photos, result of srilanka air attacks and also an appeal by an LTTE soldier. The reporter however wrongly said Marakkanam was in Tamilnadu while it is part of Pondicherry. These mediamen will never learn.
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