Tigers Massacre Unarmed Sailors: When No Match At Sea, Brutality On Land

MATALE: TIGER SUICIDE ATTACK KILLED SAILORS who were unarmed while they were being security checked at a transit point at DAGANAPOTHAHA in HABARANA. A truck laden with explosives traveling from the DAMBULLA end crashed into a convoy of 24 Navy buses at DAGANAPOTHAHA, HABARANA killing around 92 sailors while injuring 116. According to latest information there had been over 340 unarmed sailors at DAGANAPOTHAHA when the incident occurred.

According to hospital sources, 5 buses full of victims have reached the General hospital DAMBULLA.  Critically injured sailors were immediately air lifted to COLOMBO, KURUNEGALA, KANDY and POLONNARUWA hospitals with the assistance of the Air Force.

The Navy convoy was carrying unarmed sailors who were both going on leave and reporting back to duty. DAGANAPOTHAHA in HABARANA was a transit point for navy personnel arriving from various parts in the country. 12 buses were damaged in the incident.     

The LTTE continuously suffered heavy defeats in the hands of the Navy in Sea battles over the recent past. Yesterday (15) the Navy destroyed a sea tiger arms vessels off the seas of west ARRIPU. In an earlier incident, the Navy and the Air force in a joint operation successfully destroyed and sank a large vessel carrying weapons and ammunition for the Tiger terrorists last month. The Navy has been effectively restricting sea tiger movements and blocking their arms shipments to Sri Lanka during the recent past. The suicide attack today can be seen as a cowardly act by the tigers who could not match the Navy at Sea.

The LTTE has resorted to many such attacks in the past not only on unarmed Security Forces personnel but also on civilians. In MANNAR, PESALAI last December a tiger claymore mine claimed the lives of 13 unarmed sailors. At SETTIKULAM in MANNAR a tiger claymore mine killed 9 unarmed sailors begging of this year. In April at THAMBALAGAMUWA in TRINCOMALEE tigers targeted a Navy bus by exploding a claymore mine. 10 unarmed sailors died in the attack.