tckrockz said:dan meka athada boru da
Sri Lanka closes airport, cuts power after planes seen
Fri Apr 27, 2007 12:01 AM IST17
COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lankan authorities closed Colombo's international airport and cut power to the capital on Thursday night after suspicious airplanes were seen flying south along the coast, a military source said.
Witnesses in the area said they saw parachute flares fired into the sky and heard what sounded like anti-aircraft guns.
Early on Tuesday, Tamil Tiger rebel airplanes dropped bombs on military positions in the north of the country in their second aerial attack ever. The first was an attack on an air base attached to Colombo airport less than a month ago.
On Thursday sources confirmed air defences were firing into the air to ward off any potential attack.
"Some civilians in Puttlam district had seen three aircraft flying from north to south hugging the sea. With suspicion, contingency plans have been activated because of the imminent risk of threat, closing off the entrance of the airport and switching power off," a senior military source said on condition of anonymity.
An airport official confirmed that there was an emergency, but declined to elaborate.
"There is an emergency situation that has arisen here and I can't give you further details," the airport duty manager said.
Earlier, the air force said it bombed a gathering of Tamil Tiger leaders in the rebel-held north, but the rebels denied any leaders were present.
Over the past 16 months, Sri Lanka has slipped deeper into a civil war that has claimed some 68,000 lives since 1983 - including more than 4,000 since late 2005. The intensified violence has left a 2002 ceasefire in tatters.
The Tamil Tigers are fighting for independence in the north and east of the island.
thankspga said:Katunayake Air Force protection system in operation
Media Center for National Security says that prompted by suspicions that a Tiger air craft had bomb to attack the Katunayake Air Force camp, its Air defence system was activated.
The Media Center says that an unidentified sound of explosion triggered the defence system to be activated and the arrival of an enemy air craft has not been established.
The flights were diverted before the air defence system was activated.
Eye witnesses say that with the air defence system coming to effect a ball of fire landed at Negombo lagoon with a huge explosion. Security forces are conduction investigations into this incident.
lankatruth
Airport Alert
26 April 2007 23:26:59
Guns fired near Sri Lanka's international airport
April 27, 2007 (AFP) - Sri Lankan troops fearing a rebel attack fired anti-aircraft weapons and evacuated passengers from the international airport here late Thursday, an official said.
Passengers were ordered to leave the upper floors of the airport after the military received reports of a possible Tiger attack on the neighbouring Katunayake airbase.
Troops at the military base, which was attacked by Tamil Tiger rebels a month ago, fired anti-aircraft weapons, a senior government official said.
"The firing lasted a few minutes following information that a Tiger aircraft was cited heading towards the airport. There was, however, no attack," the official said.
Residents near the Bandaranaike international airport, which shares a runway with the airbase, said the gunfire went on for about 10 minutes.
"Passengers were ordered to the ground floor after we heard gun fire and some blasts," a woman passenger at the airport said by telephone. "It was a panic situation, but no one was hurt."
It was not immediately clear whether any international flights were affected.
Immediately after the alarm was raised at the airport, a power failure plunged the capital into darkness.
The authorities had been switching off power to the city to test their defence systems in case of a night-time rebel air attack.
The guerrillas flew over a northern military complex on Tuesday and bombed security personnel, killing six and wounding 13.
Airport Alert
26 April 2007 23:26:59
Guns fired near Sri Lanka's international airport
April 27, 2007 (AFP) - Sri Lankan troops fearing a rebel attack fired anti-aircraft weapons and evacuated passengers from the international airport here late Thursday, an official said.
Passengers were ordered to leave the upper floors of the airport after the military received reports of a possible Tiger attack on the neighbouring Katunayake airbase.
Troops at the military base, which was attacked by Tamil Tiger rebels a month ago, fired anti-aircraft weapons, a senior government official said.
"The firing lasted a few minutes following information that a Tiger aircraft was cited heading towards the airport. There was, however, no attack," the official said.
Residents near the Bandaranaike international airport, which shares a runway with the airbase, said the gunfire went on for about 10 minutes.
"Passengers were ordered to the ground floor after we heard gun fire and some blasts," a woman passenger at the airport said by telephone. "It was a panic situation, but no one was hurt."
It was not immediately clear whether any international flights were affected.
Immediately after the alarm was raised at the airport, a power failure plunged the capital into darkness.
The authorities had been switching off power to the city to test their defence systems in case of a night-time rebel air attack.
The guerrillas flew over a northern military complex on Tuesday and bombed security personnel, killing six and wounding 13.
Take Off
26 April 2007 23:59:43
Sri Lanka's main airport re-opens after air raid scare
April 26, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka's international airport has re-opened after several flights were diverted as a precautionary measure after reports of a possible Tamil Tiger air raid, officials said.
Military spokesman Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe said there was no attack but there were reports of two unidentified light aircraft being detected in Puttalam, an area north of the Katunayake Airbase and airport, promting defensive action.
Two Sri Lankan airline flights were diverted to India, Civil Aviation authority Chairman Paddy Mendis told LBO.
However the airport has since been re-opened and some flights including a Cathay Pacific flight has landed.
Airforce aircraft were scrambled to search for rebel aircraft in Puttalam and nearby Kapitiya officials said.
Colombo city was blacked out by the power authorities.
Air Force spokesman said anti-aircraft fire was activated as as a defensive measure.
The Tamil Tigers bombed the Katunayake airbase in March in their first air raid.
The Tiger air wing also flew a sortie to the Palaly military complex in the northern Jaffna peninsular Tuesday, but were not able to reach the airport.
However six military personnel were killed from bombs dropped on peripheral defences.
Sinha said:EKA BORUWATA BAYA WELA KARAPU EKAK. FALSE ALARM
hapo meke dan ewa gena ganana ganna epapga said:I dont think so,
see the news published in lankaenews
