April 30, 2007	Monday	Rabi-us-Sani 12, 1428

COLOMBO, April 29: Rebel Tamil Tigers on Sunday claimed carrying out their third air raid over Colombo early Sunday morning, bombing two oil and fuel storage areas and causing personnel in all military bases in the city to shoot into the air.

The city was plunged into complete darkness after the Ceylon Electricity Board switched the power off in a bid to foil the attack by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

“We heard explosions and continuous gunfire,” a man living near the air force base in Katunayake said as flights were interrupted at the Katunayake international airport.

“The situation was brought under control. The LTTE could not carry out their plans. There are no deaths. Five persons were injured and are recovering in hospital”, a military official said.

Cabinet Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa had earlier in the evening told reporters at a press conference that the government was determined to destroy the rebels’ air capability.

President Mahinda Rajapakse is in the West Indies for the cricket world cup finals.

“This was just the chance the LTTE had been waiting for. They attacked a nation pre-occupied with cricket and caught many off guard”, an official said.

“Two oil storages that supply fuel to Sri Lanka Air Force ... were attacked by the Tamileelam Air Force,” LTTE’s military spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan was quoted as saying on a pro-rebel website. The rebels said their airplanes returned safely after the attack.

One of the rebel aircraft had targeted a Ceylon Petroleum Corporation’s fuel dump in Kolonnawa and a gas facility in Muthurajawela, but oil company officials said there was no serious damage.

Gunshots were heard all over Colombo as the Army headquarters in central Colombo, the Air Force Base at Ratmalana and the Air Force base adjacent to the Katunayake international airport opened up anti-aircraft fire besides firing flares into air, trying to avert further damage.

Policemen were also seen shoting randomly into air, sources said.

Hours after the rebel air raid, government’s jets pounded the LTTE-controlled Killinochchi district, an air force spokesman said.

Sunday’s LTTE air raid marked an end to what was being perceived as ‘unofficial ceasefire’ during world cup matches, when all Sri Lankans -- Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims – jointly cheered their national team.

“As far as the world is concerned, this is the worst possible publicity for the LTTE”, diplomatic source at the British High Commission said.

LTTE’s television transmission to Europe and elsewhere was disrupted after the US-based Intelsat satellite consortium blocked its signals.

The European Union had re-imposed a ban on the LTTE last week.

Meanwhile, the alleged leader of the US-arm of the LTTE was arrested in New York for supporting terror activities in Sri Lanka, the US embassy in Colombo said on Friday.

Karunakaran Kandasamy has been accused of providing material support to the LTTE, designated as a terrorist organisation in the US, an embassy statement said.

Doctors said nine people were wounded during the anti-aircraft fire.

According to AFP, the Tigers said the attack was retaliation for Sri Lankan air raids against the rebel-held region of Kilinochchi, 330 kilometres north of here.