High sea drama at Colombo Port: Tiger attack foiled

Security at Colombo port was tightened yesterday and international shipping lines reassured there was no risk after the Navy thwarted a possible attack on the Colombo port or Naval vessels anchored there.

In the aftermath of aborted LTTE attack, the Colombo port was under close watch by security personnel yesterday. Also seen is the Panama-registered container vessel which was damaged by the impact of the explosion. Pic by Berty Mendis

Three suspected LTTE suicide attack craft were destroyed and three suspects arrested in the high sea drama in which upto nine Tiger guerrillas were believed to have been killed, a Navy spokesman said yesterday.

Navy patrol craft and the sentry point at the light-house had spotted the three suspicious boats around 5.30 a.m. and warning shots were fired, but the boats did not stop and the Tiger vessels proceeded towards the area where ships were waiting.

The spokesman said one of the Tiger boats was destroyed soon after it was detected five nautical miles off the coast in the restricted zone while the other two were sunk about 11 and 14 nautical miles off coast. A search operation backed by helicopters was launched immediately and it continued till late afternoon and three suspects who jumped off one of the boats were arrested.

All port employees were prevented from entering or leaving the harbour during the search operation.

The spokesman said a Panama-registered commercial vessel which was heading towards the harbour was damaged when some of the containers toppled due to the impact of the blast. The vessel, Peloponesian Pride MV, was later escorted to the Jaye container terminal.

The Navy spokesman said he believed the Navy’s Fast Missile Vessels used for deep sea operations were the target of the attack but others said the harbour itself might have been the target.Operations at the harbour resumed within an hour of the incident and normal vessel movements began three and half hours later.Colombo Port’s Vice Chairman R.M.P.B. Wickrama told The Sunday Times that in the wake of the incident, full security was provided to all ships and international lines were reassured there was no security risk.

In June last year an LTTE attempt to infiltrate the Colombo harbour or carry out attacks on naval or commercial vessels was foiled after two of the suicide attackers were arrested.