Sri Lanka Navy Thwarts Attack on Passenger Ship

Sri Lanka Navy thwarted Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam militant attacks and saved the lives of 854 unarmed soldiers, who traveled from Kankesanthurai to Trincomalee in a passenger vessel on August 1. According to report Sri Lanka Naval sea unit confronted a cluster of LTTE suicide boats at the harbor entrance of Trincomalee. Naval sources confirmed that the passenger vessel has been navigated to a distance safely into the international waters and no casualties were caused during the confrontation. Three boats carrying the LTTE militants were destroyed in the attack. Several other LTTE boats were also damaged. The number of casualties due to the artillery attack at the Trincomalee harbor area is yet to be known. On May 11, LTTE failed in a similar attempt to destroy a passenger vessel Pearl Cruise II transporting 600 unarmed security forces personnel. (Source: Asian Tribune)