Colombo: Sri Lankan military claimed Sunday that air force supersonic fighter jets have bombed and destroyed "a key combat-logistic facility" of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the rebel-held Mullaitivu district in the north.

"SLAF (Sri Lanka Air Force) fighter jets launched precision air sorties, destroying a key LTTE combat-logistic facility located at Venavil, southwest of Puthukkudiyiruppu in the Mullaitivu district Sunday around 10 a.m," the defence ministry said in a statement here.

The ministry statement quoting Air Force spokesperson Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara said "large explosions were observed from the target site", and added that the targeted facility was used to convert, maintain and service LTTE combat vehicles.

Claiming that the target was acquired after constant air surveillances and continuously gathered information, the statement said it also had a large fuel dump of the rebels.

"According to latest information received, the LTTE site (bombed) is still burning following a series of explosions that were reported immediately after the morning air raid," it said.

The fresh air raids came a day after the defence ministry claimed that the government "troops inching towards LTTE territory captured the entire bund of the Periyamadu Tank (about 2.5 km long) in the northwestern Mannar district despite heavy resistance from the rebels on Saturday".

"It is a major set back to the LTTE terrorists as the security forces gained the whole tank area under their control," it said, adding that seven soldiers were wounded during the gun-battle.

There was no immediate reaction from the LTTE over the air strikes.

 

Source : IANS