13 killed in LTTE attacks

By Nirupama Subramanian

COLOMBO, AUG. 9. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) carried out two separate attacks in north-east Sri Lanka today killing 13 persons, including seven civilians, hours before the Parliament reconvened today for the monthly debate on the extension of the Emergency.

A claymore mine attack this morning outside Trincomlaee town on a convoy carrying naval personnel and their family members killed seven and injured at least 40. Of those who

who were killed, five were passers-by. A child travelling in the convoy was also killed along with a naval rating. Among the injured were several naval personnel and their family members. They were all headed from Trincomalee on leave.

In another incident, an officer and five soldiers were killed when an Army patrol was ambushed on the Vavuniya-Mannar road. The attack left eight soldiers injured.

The Sri Lankan Parliament reconvened this morning after yesterday's fiasco over the new Constitution Bill and took up the motion on the monthly extension of the Emergency.

The Deputy Defence Minister, Mr. Anuruddha Ratwatte, presented a motion for an additional 28 billion Sri Lankan rupees for military procurements, which takes this year's defence expenditure to 80 billion Sri Lankan rupees, approximately $ 1 billion. Since May, the country has spent billions on new military hardware in order to stall a rolling offensive by the LTTE in Jaffna peninsula.

A Government statement said the Sri Lanka Air Force had carried out a successful bombing attack on the Chalai Sea Tiger base using newly acquired aircraft. The statement did not say when the attack was carried out.

To complement its Israeli Kfir bombers, the Air Force recently acquired MiG-27s fighters on wet lease from the Ukraine. Also expected soon are a fleet of Mi-24 fighter helicopters.

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