TAMIL TERRORISTS - Suicide boat rams oil tanker, fire results

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BBC Tuesday, 30 October, 2001, 16:06 GMT

Tamil suicide boat rams tanker

A Tamil Tiger suicide boat packed with explosives has rammed an oil tanker off northern Sri Lanka, setting the ship on fire, military officials said.

Navy patrols are reported to have rescued 12 crew members and 13 security personnel from the tanker, named as the MV Silk Pride, but three people are missing.

The Associated Press news agency reported that the ship had sunk, but other reports said it was still ablaze.

On Monday a suicide bomber killed himself and three others in Colombo, as campaigning for parliamentary elections on 5 December got under way.

Defence ministry spokesman Sanath Karunaratne said the latest attack happened off the port of Point Pedro - on the northern Jaffna peninsula

At least five rebel boats took part in the attack and one of them rammed the tanker, which was carrying more than 650 tonnes of diesel and kerosene oil to Jaffna.

The vessel had set off from the north-eastern port of Trincomalee.

The initial blast was followed by a second explosion.

Ships targeted before

It is believed that Monday's attack in Colombo may have been at attempt to assassinate Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake.

The suicide bomber blew himself up when cornered by police.

Rebels have tried before to target merchant ships and navy craft off the north of the island.

In September they attempted a similar suicide attack against a merchant ship transporting about 1,200 government soldiers to the Jaffna peninsula.

The attack was repulsed and the rebels admitted losing at least five of their elite suicide bombers.

The Tamil Tigers are campaigning for independence in north-eastern Sri Lanka.

-- Anonymous, October 30, 2001


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