by Douglas Ayling

The SLMM deputy head of mission Mr. Haukland was in Kilinochchi yesterday following the explosion of an LTTE vessel suspected to have been carrying ammunition and explosives southwards on Tuesday. The LTTE multi-day shipping trawler was approached by the Navy off the coast of Vakarai.

It exploded in a devastating blast which Navy witnesses say suggested that it had been carrying an explosive cargo. Navy sources insist that no shots had been fired by either side before the explosion.

In the confusion following the blast, LTTE cadres on the vallam accompanying the trawler fired shots at the Navy vessels, which subsequently returned fire. The encounter occurred at 5.45 pm and the three Navy vessels closest to the blast sustained no casualties. The number of LTTE casualties is unknown.

The vessel that exploded was intercepted as it was heading south along the north-east coast. It was followed for some time by the Navy vessels, before the explosion occurred - police sources said.

This comes after the chance discovery by the Navy of three LTTE boats carrying arms, ammunition and troops on Wednesday of last week, again in the East, off Foul Point - eight nautical miles south of Trincomalee. The SLMM has since condemned this as a violation of the ceasefire agreement - which expressly forbids the movement of arms and ammunition from LTTE-held areas to Government-controlled areas, and vice versa.

The position and build of the three vessels led Navy sources to suspect that they had been used to ferry arms from a ship lying further off shore.

Upon being escorted ashore by the Navy patrol and several Fast Attack Craft, it was found that the vessels carried some 40 armed LTTE cadres as well as Black Sea Tiger Leader, Dikkam and other notable LTTE leaders. They have since been released by decision of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission.

Regarding the most recent developments in the East, an SLMM spokesman said, "We are still enquiring about the situation and our monitors are there".

Meanwhile, a Defence Ministry news release stated: "A Navy routine patrol in the seas off Vakarai, Batticaloa, had observed a movement of two multi-day fishing boats (trawlers) moving South suspiciously around 5.45 p.m. on May 1. Observing these two trawlers, the Navy routine patrol challenged them to stop the movement. When they failed to stop, the Navy pursued the two trawlers with a view to apprehending them.

Having seen the Naval boats on the pursuit, one of these trawlers, "Duwa Mekala", blew itself up causing a huge pall of fire and smoke. The cause for this detonation of the trawler is unknown. The remaining trawler which was sailing about two nautical miles away from the ill-fated trawler was pursued by the Navy boats and sailed inland to shallow waters to a point about seven miles off Vakarai. The Navy boats were unable to approach this area as the depth was insufficient for them to sail in this area.

This trawler began to proceed northwards by about 6.20 p.m. Naval boats in the vicinity also started moving northwards whilst challenging the trawler to stop. There was a large presence of civilian boats where the suspicious trawler was moving in. The suspicious trawler continued its passage keeping to shallow waters to mingle with a cluster of other fishing boats belonging to civilians, thus preventing Naval troops to fire warning shots or to apprehend the LTTE trawler.

Suddenly some LTTE boats sprang up from inside the cluster of civilian boats and opened fire at the Naval boats. Naval troops engaged these LTTE boats resulting in the destruction of one LTTE boat which engaged them. In the meantime, the trawler in question sped off and managed to reach the vicinity of the Vakarai lagoon where it berthed. Naval troops did not however use firepower owing to the heavy presence of civilian boats. No causalities were caused to Navy troops. LTTE causalities are not known.

The Ministry of Defence informed the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission of this encounter. A determination on the violation of the MOU is expected soon from the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission.

A monitor of the SLMM was picked up by Naval Vessels from Trincomalee and they arrived at Vakarai at around 1 a.m. on May 2 and found no trace of the trawler that beached there earlier.