இலங்கை அரசின் பிதற்றல்

[ஈழவன்85]

கட்டு நாயக்கா தாக்குதலுக்கு கண்டனம் தெரிவிச்சிருகிறது இலங்கை அரசு அவ்நகைச்சுவை அறிக்கை பின்வருமாறு

KATUNAYAKE : THE GOVERNMENT VEHEMENTLY condemns Monday's cowardly attempt to attack the Katunayake Air Force Camp in the aftermath of major defeats suffered by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the North and East. Although the LTTE attack failed to achieve its objective of destroying fighter aircraft at the base, three Air Force personnel died and 16 others suffered injuries. The Government offers condolences to the next of kin of the victims.

A light aircraft has dropped three bombs on the hangars at the Engineering section of the air base and two of them exploded while the third bomb failed to explode.

The attack came at 12.45 a.m. on Monday (26) and the Air Force defence system was immediately activated preventing the enemy plane from making further attempts. Neither the fighter aircraft at the hangers of the Air Force Camp nor the runaway was damaged.

The Bandaranaike International Airport is in full operation for all incoming and outgoing flights as scheduled.

The LTTE terrorists suffered major defeats in the East as the security forces succeeded in rescuing the civilian population from the clutches of the terrorists in recent weeks. It is the common practice of terrorist organizations to resort to cowardly attacks elsewhere and cause maximum damage in the face of defeats in the battlefront. Such attempts to disrupt civilian life in the face of humiliating defeat could continue and the forces have been placed on full alert.

It is the time to rise above narrow political differences and refrain from unduly discrediting the security forces as such campaigns could result in strengthening the LTTE terrorists and demoralising the security forces. The Government wishes to emphasise that the nation is supreme and no political ambitions should supercede the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka.

The Government is determined to face any challenge in its fight against terrorism and appeals to all section of the Sri Lankan society to extend the fullest cooperation in this national endeavour. It is the responsibility of all concerned to cast aside petty political differences and stand by the Government to safeguard unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the nation and to eradicate the menace of terrorism