The Liberation Tigers attacked a Sri Lankan military outpost at a tourist attraction in southern Sri Lanka, killing seven soldiers and wounding many.
On Monday October 15, LTTE forces attacked a military detachment located in southern border of Ampaarai district in Yala National Park, one of the island's main tourist attractions.
The area remains tense with Sri Lanka army sealing off the sanctuary and carrying out a search operation and hotels reporting significant cancellations.
LTTE field officials told TamilNet, the camp was under LTTE control for 3 hours following the raid, during which time they seized arms and ammunitions from the camp.
Four T-81 automatic rifles, one T-56-2 rifle, one T-56-1 rifle, 2 low band communication sets, four military kit-bags, five bullet-proof jackets, seventeen T-81 magazines, three T-56 magazines and five-hundred 7.62 mm rounds were among the weapons and ammunitions seized, LTTE officials said.
The camp was set ablaze when the Tiger commandos completed their mission, the LTTE officials said.
More than 20 SLA troopers of the Sinha regiment were stationed in the camp at the time of the attack. Six died during the fighting and seventh died when a truck carrying reinforcements hit a pressure mine.
SLA officials in Colombo told media that a "SLA post" at Thalgasmankada, south of Paanama was under attack Monday around 6:30 p.m., TamilNet reported. 55 SLA troopers were stationed there, according to military sources in Colombo.
Paanama is located 61 km southeast of Ampaarai town and 63 km northeast of Kathirkaamam (Kataragama), which is on the southern edge of the Yala national park in the southeast of the island.
According to local reports, Sri Lanka’s already dwindling tourist arrivals received a further blow last week, following the attack.
The incident was timely, from the LTTE’s point of view, as the Park’s peak tourist period was just two weeks away, reported the Nation newspaper in Sri Lanka.
Leading hotels around the National Park reported that cancellations in the attack’s aftermath exceeded 25%, from both foreign as well as local visitors.
On an average, the Wildlife Park receives an average of 400 to 450 visitors per day, mainly locals.
Army Spokesman, Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara told the Nation that the Security Forces will complete search operations around the area in two weeks time.
Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Champika Ranawaka told The Nation that security at the Yala Wildlife Sanctuary has been beefed up, following the LTTE attack and that the government is also in the process of introducing a new security arrangement for the Yala sanctuary.
“We will introduce a new security arrangement to include the STF (Special Task Force), Navy and the Army. This project will also provide training for the Wildlife Officers as well,” the Minister said.
“We will introduce a new security arrangement to include the STF (Special Task Force), Navy and the Army. This project will also provide training for the Wildlife Officers as well,” the Minister said.
In a separate incident, on Friday October 19 Sri Lankan troops engaged in a security clearance fired at two suspicious boats in the seas off the sanctuary.
