Sri Lanka

Tiger air raids hit Colombo

Article published on the 2008-10-29 Latest update 2008-10-29 14:51 TU

Soldiers and police at the power station
(Photo: Reuters)

Sri Lanka's Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on Tuesday launched two air-raids, one on a power plant in the capital, the other on a military base in the north-east. Two bombs were dropped on the Colombo power plant, killing one person and causing the power supply to be cut off briefly.

The authorities say that the power cut was a "precautionary measure" and describe the raids as "abortive". The Ceylon Electricity Board says that two turbines caught fire, before being brought under control by the fire brigade.

The three bombs dropped in the north-east injured three soldiers slightly, according to the military.

The raids are the separatist guerrillas' first for six weeks and come as the military is camped just outside their stronghold of Kilinochchi in the north of the island.

Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Hussein Bhaila, who is on a visit to Paris, claims that the show of force comes as the guerrillas are under pressure.

"At the moment their back is to the wall, I would say," he told RFI. "So, with their back to the wall, they are using their last-ditch efforts to show that they are still having some capacity left, but it is not the case on the ground."