Pakistan supports Lanka’s

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Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has expressed his support for the efforts of the Sri Lankan government in its fight against terrorism. He emphasized the need to eliminate terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, the foreign Ministry said in a statement at the end of a meeting between Foreign Minister Rohith Bogollagama and the Pakistan President in Islamabad today.

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SLAF raided LTTE suicide training base

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Sri Lanka Air Force supersonic fighter jets raided an LTTE suicide training facility located at Puthukkudiyiruppu in the Mullaittivu area this evening, January 31.

The air sorties were carried out at 5.10 p.m and the targeted LTTE base was located in a jungle patch at Kaivelikulam, 4Km northwest of Puthukkudiyiruppu in Mullaittivu.

The Air Force spokesperson Wing Commander Andy Wijesooriya said that the targeted LTTE base was identified as a specialized training facility which provides training for the LTTE's suicide cadres. The target was achieved on information gathered through the intelligence sources and air surveillances conducted for a long period of time, spokesperson further said.

An LTTE suicide bomber has exploded himself

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An LTTE suicide bomber has exploded himself targeting innocent Tamil civilians at Thirunaweli in Jaffna this morning, January 31. According to the defence sources the suicide bomber had arrived at location riding a bicycle and exploded himself around 11.20 a.m.

Three people have been killed on the spot and seventeen others have suffered injuries. The victims have been rushed to the Jaffna hospital with the assistance of security forces personnel. According the sources received from Jaffna hospital, seven victims are in critical condition.

Military spokesperson Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara speaking to the media said that this is a cowardly attempt by the terrorists to instill a fear psychosis among the Tamil civilians living in Jaffna Peninsula.

He said that increasing civilian support to the security forces' to fight terrorism has agitated LTTE terrorists. Also, he highlighted the incident as a clear indication of the bogus nature of the liberator semblance that LTTE have been trying to create for itself.

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Recovered 280 more bullet proof jackets

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Medawachchiya police who arrested two suspects attempting to smuggle 68 bullet proof jackets by lorry during a raid at Medawachchiya yesterday evening, conducted further inquiries on information provided by the suspects and recovered 280 more jackets from an abandoned house in Anuradhapura town, today.

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Fighter jets and army-gunners pound LTTE gun positions

Sri Lanka Army artillery and Air Force fighter jets pounded LTTE gun positions located in the Kalmunai Point (K- point) area North of Paranthan this morning (January 28). According to the defence sources, the attack was launched in retaliation to the terrorists' artillery shelling at the Jaffna peninsula around 10.a.m.

Sri Lanka Army responded to the attack with heavy artillery and multi-barrel rocket fire. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Air Force fighter jets launched from Katunayake air base raided enemy gun positions with repeated air sorties around 11.45.a.m. The Air Force sources said that the air raids were successful.

According to the defence sources in the area there were no casualties or damages caused by LTTE artillery fire.

Bunker burster bomb

The X-ray base is located far from civilian settlements — it is about 10 to 15 km from Killinochchi town and the Tigers have effected strict access control in the area due to the presence of the Iranamadhu air strip and other military facilities. According to government defence officials it is one of the many Tiger ‘high security zones.’

"At 11.30 a.m. and at 5.20 p.m. on Wednesday and again at 6.45 a.m. on Thursday, Sri Lankan Air Force dropped more than 16 bombs over the Ambalahama forest area damaging around 10 hectares of forest land," the Tigers said of the bombings.

The defence establishment was abuzz on January 24 with reports that heavy casualties were caused by the attack. The pilots of the jets had confirmed that the targets were hit. The injured Tiger cadres from the attack had been rushed to the Killinoch- chi hospital. The unverified intel report said that members from the Imran Pandiyan unit of the Tigers that is tasked with the personal security of the Tiger leader was hit in the attack.


Banker Burster bomb

The GBU 28 "Bunker Buster" was put together in record time to support targeting of the Iraqi hardened command bunker by adapting existing materiel. The GBU-28 was not even in the early stages of research when Kuwait was invaded. The USAF asked industry for ideas in the week after combat operations started. Work on the bomb was conducted in research laboratories including the the Air Force Research Laboratory Munitions Directorate located at Eglin AFB, Florida and the Watervliet Armory in New York. The bomb was fabricated starting on 1 February, using surplus 8-inch artillery tubes as bomb casings because of their strength and weight.

The official go-ahead for the project was issued on 14 February, and explosives for the initial units were hand-loaded by laboratory personnel into a bomb body that was partially buried upright in the ground. The first two units were delivered to the USAF on 16 and 17 February, and the first flight to test the guidance software and fin configuration was conducted on 20 February. These tests were successful and the program proceeded with a contract let on 22 February. A sled test on 26 February proved that the bomb could penetrate over 20 feet of concrete, while an earlier flight test had demonstrated the bomb's ability to penetrate more than 100 feet of earth. The first two operational bombs were delivered to the theater on 27 February.

The Air Force produced a limited quantity of the GBU-28 during Operation Desert Storm to attack multi-layered, hardened underground targets. Only two of these weapons were dropped in Desert Storm, both by F-111Fs. One weapon hit its precise aimpoint, and the onboard aircraft video recorder displayed an outpouring of smoke from an entrance way approximately 6 seconds after impact. After Operation Desert Storm, the Air Force incorporated some modifications, and further tested the munition. The Fy1997 budget request contained $18.4 million to procure 161 GBU-28 hard target penetrator bombs.