Sri Lanka: LTTE aircraft chased away in North

Alert security forces at Vettilaikerni detected an LTTE light aircraft approaching the Northern peninsula this morning and fired at it forcing the aircraft to fly away. The aircraft, while flying away has dropped two bombs at Mailadi coast.

Defence Spokesman Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe said that the LTTE aircraft was detected and chased away before it could cause any damage. "Whatever its objective, it could not be achieved as the alert security force personnel detected the aircraft and fired at it", he said.

The soldiers who were manning positions in Vettilaikerni have seen the aircraft around 1.15am and immediately defensive actions were taken. The plane had to make a hurried exit because of the gunfire.

It had dropped two bombs at Mailadi coast, but no casualties were reported.