(Sri Lanka) 'Gun battle' at Colombo airport

[Eugene]

Source: BBC News

Last Updated: Sunday, 25 March 2007, 20:06 GMT 21:06 UK

'Gun battle' at Colombo airport

Reports from Sri Lanka say that the international airport in the capital
Colombo has come under attack by suspected Tamil Tiger rebels.

Witnesses have reported hearing the sound of gunfire and explosions.

A spokesman for the Sri Lankan military told the Reuters news agency
that fighting was continuing at the airport

The airport was attacked in July 2001 by Tamil Tiger rebels who
destroyed six civilian jets, along with over a dozen military
aircraft at a base next door.


Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/letter_from_america/6494121.stm

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Related: Sri Lanka says airport under suspected rebel attack - Reuters

[JackintheGreen]

1. Maybe I won't be doing research there in the summer...

But Afghanistan's still safe, right?

[Eugene]

2. Sri Lanka says rebels bombed base from light plane

Source: Reuters

Sri Lanka says rebels bombed base from light plane
25 Mar 2007 21:32:11 GMT

COLOMBO, March 26 (Reuters) - Tamil Tiger rebels bombed an
air force base next to Sri Lanka's international airport north
of Colombo before dawn on Monday from a light aircraft,
the Air Force said, killing two airmen and wounding 17.

"A light Tiger aircraft flew over the air force base and
dropped explosives. There have been two explosions. At the
same time our air defences activated and there is a search
operation going on," said Air Force spokesman Group Captain
Ajantha de Silva.

The government said the attack, the first such aerial bombing
by the Tigers -- who claim to have built up an air force --
was aimed at the military base and did not cause any damage
to the adjacent civilian airport.

Airline officials said the airport, 23 miles (37 km) north of
the capital Colombo, had been closed and Sri Lankan airlines
said all arrivals and departures were on hold.

Link: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/COL85663.htm