With the army stepping up operations on the Muhamalai front, the SLAF will go flat out against LTTE targets in the Vanni theatre.

Although it wouldn’t be an easy task, the SLAF was likely to step up night operations aimed at destroying the enemy’s capacity to wage war, the military said.

Jets launched from Katunayake airbase Tuesday night bombed an LTTE base in the jungles of Mudiyankattukulam, eight Kms northwest of Oddusudan. Airforce headquarters said jets targeted the base subsequent to night surveillance.

SLAF spokesman Wing Commander Andy Wijesuriya said the target was hit at 11.15 p.m. Tuesday’s strike came hot on the heels of another night attack carried out on March 29 targeting the LTTE runway at Iranamadu.

Wijesuriya said the night strikes were successful.

Although the current phase of SLAF daytime operations was the most successful in the entire Eelam war the same couldn’t be said about night strikes which had been few and far between.

The LTTE strike on Anuradhapura air base last October had dented the SLAF’s maritime and ground surveillance capability but Katunayake based fighter squadrons had continued operations.

Meanwhile helicopter gunships based in the Jaffna peninsula swung into action over Muhamalai in support of ground operations spearheaded by armoured fighting vehicles. Helicopters targeted an LTTE bunker line and mortar firing position at 6.15 am.