When Tigers had a cool flight over Jaffna

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam on Tuesday said that their pilots, who bombed a military airbase killing six soldiers and wounding 10, had a 'cool flight' over the northern Sri Lankan peninsula of Jaffna and were totally unchallenged by ground fire.

"The pilots had a cool flight over Jaffna," LTTE spokesman Rasiah Ilanthiriya informed by satellite telephone from the rebel-held Wanni region.

The LTTE said two of their light fixed-wing single engine planes bombed the Palaly military complex early Tuesday morning and returned to base without being attacked by the Air Force or ground troops.

The military had last week claimed that they had acquired night-flying capability following the rebels' first air attack last month. "They may have got some new capability, but they certainly did not use it against us today," Ilanthiriyan said.

Diplomatic sources noted that the Tigers had been able to again carry out an audacious attack and get away.

The LTTE's first air attack against the military's main airbase located next to the international airport in March had raised serious questions about the preparedness of the military.

The defence establishment in turn blamed the 'faulty radar' supplied by India. India then hit back saying that the problem may have been with those using the radar and not the equipment as such.