LTTE attackers routed in Point Pedro battle

The Sri Lankan navy successfully repulsed a twilight to dawn attack on its craft by the LTTE yesterday, using suicide boats off the seas of Point Pedro, in a bid to infiltrate Jaffna via the sea route.

Thirty LTTE boats were involved in the attack, but at the end of the pitched sea battle, eight including five carrying suicide cadres exploded.

Five LTTE vessels were sunk and the rest were seen retreating, some in heavily damaged condition.

The defending Navy had two of its boats slightly damaged. Three naval personnel were injured.

The motive for the attack was to open a sea route -- and it was launched in three separate pincher movements.

This was the second time that the Navy repulsed aggressive attacks on its craft since the LTTE decided to dishonour the ceasefire. In earlier attacks aimed at vessels carrying over 800 naval personnel, the LTTE retreated similarly with very heavy casualties.

Wounded girl confirms Sencholai was LTTE training camp

Three escapees have now confessed to the security forces that Sencholai was a LTTE military training camp, in a dramatic turn of events over the controversy on the so called LTTE orphanage at Sencholai.

Sripathi Kasthuri (18) and two of her friends now in security forces custody after they were wounded following the air strikes on this camp on August 14 had told the police that they were trained in the use of AK 47 rifles and military tactics in that camp.

Contrary to these views, the SLMM and UNICEF earlier claimed that the Air Force bombed a school in Sencholai where 61 students were reportedly killed and another 152 wounded. Confirming it was the location, they were trained, the 18 year old girl accompanied by her mother Ms Sripathi Kumudu told the media that the LTTE forcibly took them to this camp on August 10.

“In the first week of the August, Mayuran of the LTTE and Ivan of the Mullaitivu Education office came to our school and instructed us to participated in a training program at their Sencholai camp,” Kasturi said.

“They also threatened us saying that if we did not turn up it would be the end of our school career,” she added.

Three girls, Kasturi, Thambimuttu Dayalini (20), Balasingham Sunethra (19) who were wounded in the air strikes were brought to the Vavuniya Hospital by the ICRC. They were later transferred to the Kandy Hospital. They had been given military training in the Sencholai camp by the LTTE female cadre named Venthila akka.

“She also taught us first aid and on how to evade security forces during an encounter,” she added.

Kasturi said two LTTE members working in the Mullaitivu Educational Divisional Office named Arul Master and Mayuran, Venthila Akka and Kalai Aral Akka were the course supervisors. She said they were in their fourth day of training when the Air Force fighter jets bombed the camp in the morning of August 14.

Following air strikes, Kasturi was rushed to the Kilinochchi Hospital, from where she was transferred to the Vavuniya Hospital.