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| Indian radar blamed for LTTE attack: Report | | | COLOMBO, MARCH 28
Sri Lanka's military, under attack for not taking action against the rebels after they bombed a key base, has blamed the radar installed by India for their debacle, a report said today.
The Island newspaper, which reflects the military's point of view, said the "radar installed by India failed to detect" the incoming Tiger aircraft and thus helped the rebels.
"Initial investigation revealed that the first generation radar installed by India failed to detect the incoming aircraft until the radar at the adjacent Bandaranaike International Airport identified them," the Island said.
Military sources told PTI that the Tigers used two Czech-built Zlin-143 single-engine four-seater aircraft and an airfield in the island's north to carry out the attack on Monday.
The aircraft was spotted on radar nearly a hour before it carried out the attack. Troops on the ground had alerted the air force but it was not clear what action the air force took to prevent the attack.
The LTTE on Monday dropped several bombs on a military air base near the international airport, killing three airmen and wounding 16 others.
Military officials privately accused the air force of not taking any action even after the attack to prevent the Tiger aircraft safely returning to a secret location somewhere in the island's north.
Meanwhile, the island's Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollegama told reporters here that there was no change in the government policy regarding the Tigers and it wanted a negotiated settlement to the island's drawn out conflict.
"There is no new offer of talks or a new initiative to resume talks, but our position is that we stand for a negotiated settlement," he told the Foreign Correspondents' Association here.
"If the Tigers are ready tomorrow, we are also ready to go anywhere and talk," the Minister said insisting that there was no new offer of talks, but only the government's stated position that it was always amenable to talks. |
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