Air Defence System Activated

At least two unidentified aircrafts have entered the skies over Colombo and the city’s air defence system has been activated. More information is not available as of this moment.

Update: One of the aircraft involved in the attack was shot down a short while ago near the Air Force Base in Katunayake. A body which is suspected to be of the pilot has been recovered.

Meanwhile a building of the Inland Revenue department in Colombo fort has been damaged. Around 25 people injured in the incident were admitted to hospital.

Update 2: Both aircraft has been shot down. Meanwhile the aircraft shot down near Katunayake has crashed inside the HSZ. It appears that the plane carried a large amount of explosives. Even the pilot himself seems to have carried several hand grenades.

Civilian casualties in suicide blast - Dharmapuram

Heavy civilian casualties have been reported when a LTTE female suicide bomber detonated herself near an IDP center Vishwamadu area. Several soldiers of the 58 division have also been injured. As of this moment, exact casualty details are not available. The blast may have been planned to discourage any more civilians from crossing over the the government controlled territory. For the past two days alone more than 8000 civilians have managed to flee LTTE control.

LTTE now seems to be heavily deploying their suicide cadres to attack the army. During the past two weeks more than 6 suicide attacks have targeted SLA FDL both at PTK as well as at Challai. Some of these attacks did inflict casualties on the army’s side. LTTE’s last ‘innovative attack’ to breach the army FDL south of PTK too turned into an unintentional suicide mission. Another 30 man ‘LTTE commando"’ unit was sent in an armor plated lorry to execute an attack similar to the one launched by the tigers on the 1st of February. The lorry along with around 30 tigers on board was pulverized by 53 division units before ‘LTTE commandos’ could fire a single shot.

Chalai falls

Troops of the 55 division have breached the 3rd and final LTTE defence line at Challai and have advanced into LTTE’s last remaining major sea tiger base. Fighting has been going on this area ever since SLA units breached LTTE’s second ‘earth bund’ about a week ago. Soldiers of the 7 VIR (Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment) attached to 55 division today overran the 3rd and final earth bund at Challai and moved further into LTTE held territory. Heaviest fighting in this area was reported in the past two days, specially during the night. The bund captured today and the one captured last week were located about 2km apart from each other.

According to military intelligence, several senior sea tiger wing members have perished in Challai fighting. A deputy sea tiger leader identified as Vinayagam, a sea tiger special commander identified as Kannan and several other regional leaders are said to be killed in yesterday and today’s fighting.

Fighting erupts south of Puthukkudiyiruppu

Heavy fighting erupted between the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) when a group of LTTE fighters tried to breach the 59 division forward defence line (FDL) yesterday (1st) morning. 18 SLA soldiers have been killed and around 50 more have been injured in the fighting. Two main battle tanks (MBT) and a tractor transporting supplies to the front line have also been damaged. SLA units have recovered around 15 dead bodies of LTTE cadres. Sporadic clashes are still continuing in the area.

Meanwhile 58 division units yesterday recovered a large quantity of arms and ammunition from an LTTE base located east of Puliyampokkanal. Among the recovered weapons were three 120mm heavy mortars – a weapon with a 7km-10km effective range.