Did LTTE Tamil Tiger Terrorists use ‘thermobaric’ weapons to assasinate Sri Lanka Navy Sailors ?

Suspicions have arisen in Sri Lanka Police and Military circles whether the LTTE had used the banned ‘thermobaric’ weapons to kill the 13 sailors on Friday at Mannar.

A NAVAL CONVOY proceeding to THALAIMANNAR from MANNAR around 2.25 p.m. on Friday (23) afternoon with thirty sailors aboard a bus and a Navy truck was blown up in at least two explosions, triggered off by Tamil Tiger (LTTE) terrorists in the general area of NADUKUDHA in MANNAR. Reports from the naval troops in MANNAR confirmed the two vehicles caught up in two simultaneous explosions caused death to a large number of sailors in the convoy and severely injured several more sailors, prompting troops to evacuate all of them to MANNAR hospital. The Navy has so far traced remains of thirteen Sailors as this report went to Press. This is the first Tamil Tiger (LTTE) attack of this magnitude, in which so many were killed and injured after the Cease-fire Agreement (CFA) was signed between the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and Tamil Tigers (LTTE). It was only on Thursday (22), Tamil Tiger Terrorists, disguised as fishermen surrounded two naval craft and took away three sailors on routine patrol after firing on them, causing severe injuries to one more sailor. Two injured sailors in today’s incident were immediately evacuated to a base hospital since their conditions turned worse. Both vehicles were badly damaged in the incident. However, exact details of the whole incident are yet to be forthcoming at the time this report was being filed. The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) is to be informed of this gross violation of the CFA.

According to newspaper reports, Mannar Police HQI Sudath Asmadala told the Daily Mirror that considering the initial investigation, the attack had been carried out using ‘thermobaric’ weapon, which can burn everything instantly in the targeted range. “Following this shocking finding, we have asked the Government Analyst to carry out a special investigation into the matter as this type of weapons are banned all over the world,” he said. He also said that soon after the incident, the military personnel who visited the scene were surprised to see the bodies beyond recognition. “Rocket-propelled grenades can not do such harm to the human body and we strongly believe that the attackers had used the world banned ‘thermoberic’ weapon, he said. Thirteen sailors were killed and another two injured, when two claymore mines were exploded targeting a Navy convoy at Pesalai in Mannar on Friday. Soon after the blasts, the LTTE had fired at the damaged vehicles using small arms and heavy weapons.

Thirteen Navy officers killed in the LTTE attack on two vehicles on Friday at Pesalai, Mannar have been identified as follows: Master Chief Petty Officer M.A.T.Mallikarachchi of Hataraliyadda, Chief Petty Officer W.C Pushpakumara of Kahatuduwa, Petty Officers C.N Perera of Katugastota, K.S.R. Vithana of Embilipitiya, B.L. Wasantha of Balapitiya, Leading Seaman K.A.U.C. Kuruppuarachchi, Leading Transport Assistant D.N.N.R. Dissanayake of Teldeniya, Leading Seaman N.D.K. Dassanayake of Poddala, Leading Patrolman R.K. Dayananda of Hidogama Anuradhapura, Transport Assistant R.M.G.S. Rathnayake of Seepukulama Kahatagasdigiliya, Engineering Mechanic N.R.C.S. Niroshan of Passara, Able Seaman K.G.S.L. Kumarasinghe of Matale and Able Patrolman R.H.A. Amarasinghe of Katupota.

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