Militant Tamil nationalist organization, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) executed a surprise air raid on the Sri Lankan military bases in Weli-Oya located 280 km northeast from capital Colombo on early Sunday, April 27. Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara, the military spokesman, informed that the LTTE dropped three bombs in the Weli-Oya forward defence line (FDL) areas at around 1.43 am.

 

He added that the LTTE aircrafts have safely gone back to their hideout place in Wanni after carrying out the air raids. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, which possess a number of Czech-built Zlin Z-143 light wing aircraft, had executed five air assaults against the Sri Lankan military and economic establishments till October the previous year.

 

The latest air raid conducted by the LTTE happens to be the first in six months. Their air crafts had conducted an attack on October 22 the previous year when a bunch of LTTE suicide guerrillas had launched a very commando-style attack on a Sri Lankan air force base located in Anuradhapura in the north central district.

 

The Sri Lankan government has announced after the LTTE air strike that it had got hold of anti-aircraft systems and guns and had also pledged to obliterate LTTE's air capabilities totally. This air assault by the LTTE came within 24 hours of the Sri Lankan Air Force's statement that its supersonic jets had shelled known LTTE artillery gun positions situated north of Weli-Oya on Saturday 26 April after fierce artillery duels in the area.