The navy yesterday thwarted a desperate LTTE attempt to replenish its depleted arsenal by sinking a supply vessel attempting to slip through a heavy naval cordon off Mullaitivu coast.

Defence sources said that this was evidence of LTTE’s access to arms suppliers overseas.

Fast Attack Craft (FACs) had zeroed-in-on the vessel at about 2 a.m. after Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) took up position in the area of operation.

A jubilant navy chief Vice Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda told The Sunday Island that naval units had trapped and sunk the vessel which was about 35 to 40 metres long off the Mullaitivu coast.

He asserted that the LTTE was trying to take advantage of rough seas to bring in urgently needed ammunition.

Responding to queries, Karannagoda said that the vessel was believed to be specially equipped for the LTTE as it managed 21 knots. He expressed the belief that the LTTE would make further attempts to procure arms overseas and ship them as it wouldn’t have any other option. He indicated that there could be other vessels heading towards the north-eastern coast.

The navy recently reinforced the blockade off Mullaitivu to thwart a possible arms smuggling attempt as the LTTE fiercely resisted a relentless army advance on the Vanni front.

Yesterday’s was the first destruction of an LTTE ship by the navy after the successful attack on their largest floating arsenal about 2,600 kilometres south of Dondra head on October 7 last year.

The navy blasted seven ships in separate confrontations on September 17, 2006, February 28, 2007, 18 March 2007 (two) and 10 and 11 September 2007 (three).

The latest abortive bid was made amid speculation of a possible attempt to land aircraft loaded with supplies on one of the two airstrips located east of A9 in the LTTE-held territory.

Air Force Chief Air Marshal Roshan Goonetileke told The Sunday Island that they were ready to thwart any such attempt.

The Katunayake-based jet squadrons and Mi 24 helicopter gunships operating from several bases had caused heavy losses on the LTTE.

Karannagoda said that FACs also destroyed four LTTE attack craft in a separate confrontation off Mullaitivu. He emphasized that the LTTE had absolutely no chance in transferring the cargo as the vessel was under surveillance for some time before FACs swung into action. Yesterday’s action had involved altogether 21 platforms including the offshore patrol vessels.

He said that the LTTE had revived its overseas arms network after the destruction of its fleet in 2006 and 2007. Karannagoda expressed confidence in his officers and men to meet any LTTE attempt to replenish LTTE arsenal.

Commander Mahesh Karunaratne said that the LTTE controlled the coastal stretch north of Alampil and Nagarkovil on the Vadamaradchchy east coast- a distance of about 35 t0 40 nautical miles. It would have been an extremely difficult task to carry out a major arms smuggling operation due to what he called a sizeable naval presence.

Since the loss of its supply route through the Gulf of Mannar due to the liberation of the north-western land stretch from Mannar to Pooneryn and naval deployment, the LTTE’s access to sea through the area between north of Alampil and Nagarkovil has been cut off.

Military officials asserted that the latest loss of a ship would be a major setback to the enemy against the backdrop of a severe shortage of the entire range of ammunition. They expressed the belief that the LTTE was on the verge of running out of ammunition.

A senior official told The Sunday Island that a few more major confrontations with the army on the Vanni front would finish off the enemy’s ammunition stocks. He pointed out that last week’s battles on the Jaffna and Vanni fronts would have caused a heavy dent in these stock.

Heavy LTTE resistance on both fronts caused heavy losses on the army with 57 Division and Task Force I at the receiving end. Although the losses weren’t high as 170 killed and 420 wounded as claimed by the LTTE, the figures were definitely much more than admitted by the military, well informed sources said.

Despite Tuesday’s setback, the army continued with operations both on the Vanni and Jaffna fronts with 57 Division commanded by Major General Jagath Dias breaching the LTTE’s earth cum ditch bund west of the Iranamadu tank by Friday (19).

The 574 Brigade had overcome the 8-foot high earth bund and the 8-feet deep ditch and set up positions just 1.5 kilometres south of Iranamadu town centre.