Sri Lanka's Tiger rebels stage another air attack

Colombo: Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels on Tuesday staged another air strike in the north, carrying out a long-range artillery barrage, local residents and officials said.

Residents in Vavuniya, 256 kilometres north of the capital Colombo, said they saw anti-aircraft fire illuminating the night sky while huge blasts were also heard in the de facto frontier town.

",We heard the noise of a light aircraft,", a resident said by telephone. ",Anti-aircraft guns of the military fired for about 20 to 30 minutes.",

Hospital sources in Vavuniya said at least three policemen and a civilian were brought to the main hospital in the area following the rebel attack and one of them succumbed to his injuries.

Sri Lanka's air force said they tracked the aircraft and destroyed one of the rebel planes while it returned to a clandestine base in the northern district of Mullaitivu.

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",One of the Tiger aircraft was destroyed over Mullaitivu,", airforce spokesman Janaka Nanayakkara said.

There was no immediate comment from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) about the military claims.

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The Tigers carried out an air strike against the northeastern port town of Trincomalee two weeks ago. At least four people were killed and another 10 wounded in that attack targeting the navy.

The latest air strike by the Tigers came as government forces stepped up aerial attacks against the guerrillas inside their de facto state in the north. The military has claimed the upper hand in the latest ground battles.

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The Tigers are believed to operate five Czech-built Zlin-143 aircraft smuggled onto the island in pieces and re-assembled. Satellite images have shown that they have more than one airstrip inside areas they hold.