மன்னார் கடலில் படகு வெடித்து சிதறியது

[Shankarlaal]

[February 11, 2006]

Trawler explodes off Sri Lanka coast, gunrunning suspected+

(Japan Economic Newswire Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)COLOMBO, Feb. 11_(Kyodo) _ A fishing trawler exploded at sea off Sri Lanka's northeastern Mannar coast on Saturday when approached by navy vessels for inspection, Sri Lankan navy sources said.

"The boat exploded as two naval fast-attack craft approached it for inspection," a senior naval officer said. "There had been no offensive action on either side."

"All on board are presumed dead," he said, adding that he had no information on how many there were.

The naval vessels patrolling the area had approached the trawler due to its suspicious movements, said the officer, who requested anonymity.

The Tamil Tiger rebels have previously exploded gunrunning boats to prevent detection.

Earlier this year, the navy detected an Indian trawler carrying 65,000 detonators for delivery to the rebels. Diplomats expressed concern about the incident ahead of talks slated for Feb. 22 in Geneva between the Sri Lanka government and the rebels to discuss their February 2002 Cease-Fire Agreement.

It would be the first meeting between the two sides since April 2003.

http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2006/02/11/1362817.htm

LTTE smugglers blow up own boat of explosives

http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=62725

[Shankarlaal]

S.Lanka boat explodes as navy goes to search it

Sat 11 Feb 2006 8:01 AM ET

COLOMBO, Feb 11 (Reuters) - A fishing boat exploded when a Sri Lankan naval patrol boat approached it near rebel Tamil Tiger territory on Saturday, international truce monitors said they had been told by the military.

A military source said it might have been a rebel Sea Tiger boat that blew itself up when stopped by a naval patrol rather than be searched. A naval spokesman said he had no precise details of the incident, but that one sailor had been wounded.

"The report from the navy is that it was a fishing boat and when the Dvora (naval patrol boat) approached, there was an explosion on board," said Helen Olafsdottir, spokeswoman for the Nordic mission which monitors a 2002 ceasefire.

A string of suspected rebel attacks on troops in the minority Tamil dominated north and east pushed Sri Lanka to the brink of war, but tensions have fallen since late January when the two sides agreed to hold direct talks in Switzerland.

http://today.reuters.com/News/CrisesArticl...oryId=COL145822

[Shankarlaal]

Boat explosion reported off Mannar, four feared killed

[TamilNet, February 11, 2006 13:58 GMT]

At least four persons were feared killed in an explosion involving a boat off the seas of Pesalai in Mannar, Saturday afternoon Police said. Sri Lankan Police, said those on board the suspect vessel set the explosion that destroyed the boat when a Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) vessel tried to intercept the boat. Meanwhile, fishermen in Pesalai, expressed fears that the victims could be civilians travelling in a boat with high horsepower engines, that came under RPG fire from the SLN vessel.

Fishermen in Pesalai witnessed smoke from the explosion till 7:00 p.m.

An SLN sailor, who fell unconscious following the incident, was transferred to Anuradhapura hospital for treatment, Police said.

Further details are not available at the moment.

Suspected Tamil Tigers explode own vessel transporting explosives, Navy says

Associated Press, Sat February 11, 2006 08:32 EST . COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - (AP) Suspected Tamil Tiger rebels on Saturday exploded their own boat believed to be transporting explosives off Sri Lanka - 's northwestern sea, a navy official said.

Navy patrol crafts spotted a suspicious fishing vessel and went to investigate in the sea of Talaimannar, 250 kilometers (155 miles) northwest of Colombo, when the explosion occurred, the official said on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media.

[Mathan]

மன்னாரில் வெடிப்பொருட்களை ஏற்றிவந்த படகு வெடித்துள்ளதாக கடற்படையினர் கூறுகின்றனர்.

இலங்கையின் வடமேற்கே மன்னார் கடற்பரப்பில் வெடிபொருட்களை ஏற்றிவந்த மீன்பிடிப்படகு ஒன்று வெடித்துச் சிதறியதாக இலங்கை படையினர் தெரிவித்துள்ளனர்.

இரணைதீவுக்கும், தலைமன்னாருக்கும் இடையே இரணைதீவுக்கு தென்மேற்காக 8 கடல்மைல் தொலைவில் இந்தச் சம்பவம் நடந்ததாகவும், வெடிபொருட்களை ஏற்றிவந்த பயங்கரவாதிகளின் பன்முகச் செயற்திறன்கொண்ட படகு ஒன்றே இவ்வாறு வெடித்ததாகவும் இலங்கை இராணுவத்தின் பேச்சாளர் பிரிகேடியர்பிரசாத் சமரசிங்க தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

கடற்படையினர் அந்தப்படகை சோதனை செய்ய முற்பட்ட போது அந்தப்படகில் இருந்தவர்கள் தமது படகைத் தாமே வெடிக்கச் செய்ததாகவும் அவர் கூறினார்.

இந்தப் படகு வெடித்தபோது அதில் இருந்தவர்களுக்கு என்ன நடந்தது என்று தெரியாது என்றும், இந்தச் சம்பவத்தில் கடற்படைச் சிப்பாய் ஒருவர் காயமடைந்ததாகவும் இராணுவப் பேச்சாளர் கூறினார்.

BBC தமிழ்