Attack on Galle Harbour
Encyclopedia
Attack on Galle Harbour
was a suicide attack
carried out by fifteen Sea Tigers
of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
(LTTE) on the commercial Galle harbour
and Sri Lanka Navy base
SLNS Dakshina in the tourist town of Galle
in southern Sri Lanka
.
The pro-rebel TamilNet claimed that a 15-member team entered Dakshina in five vessels and attacked four Sri Lankan naval vessels and installations. At least three explosive-laden attack vessels attacked naval crafts, including a tsunami damaged sub chaser and destroyed a Fast Attack Craft and two water jet inshore patrol vessels anchored in the port base. However these have not been substantiated or excepted by the Sri Lankan defence ministry.
There are no Sea Tiger
bases close by, it is believed attackers must have travelled a long distance to get to Galle
. Some of the attackers died in the attack, while others escaped into the town - their fate is unknown while the navy carried out search operations.
The defence ministry said two people had been killed, one of them a sailor. At least 26 others, civilians among them, had been wounded, a statement said.
Manil Mendis, Commander of the Southern Naval Area was Court-martial and found guilty of two counts for not taking adequate precautions and counter-measures relating to the incident.
was a suicide attack
Suicide attack
A suicide attack is a type of attack in which the attacker expects or intends to die in the process.- Historical :...
carried out by fifteen Sea Tigers
Sea Tigers
The Sea Tigers was the naval wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam during the Sri Lankan Civil War. It was founded in 1984. The Sea Tigers had a number of small but effective suicide bomber vessels. During its existence it had gained a reputation as a capable adversary for the Sri Lankan Navy...
of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was a separatist militant organization formerly based in northern Sri Lanka. Founded in May 1976 by Vellupillai Prabhakaran, it waged a violent secessionist and nationalist campaign to create an independent state in the north and east of Sri Lanka for Tamil...
(LTTE) on the commercial Galle harbour
Galle
Galle is a city situated on the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka, 119 km from Colombo. Galle is the capital city of Southern Province of Sri Lanka and it lies in Galle District....
and Sri Lanka Navy base
Naval base
A naval base is a military base, where warships and naval ships are deployed when they have no mission at sea or want to restock. Usually ships may also perform some minor repairs. Some naval bases are temporary homes to aircraft that usually stay on the ships but are undergoing maintenance while...
SLNS Dakshina in the tourist town of Galle
Galle
Galle is a city situated on the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka, 119 km from Colombo. Galle is the capital city of Southern Province of Sri Lanka and it lies in Galle District....
in southern Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
.
Attack
The Navy claimed that at 7.45 a.m. on the October 18, 2006, five "sea tiger" suicide boats, disguised as fishing boats, the Navy destroyed three suicide boats and the other two approached the Galle harbour and detonated at the entrance. One sailor was killed and 11 were injured. One sailor is missing in action.The pro-rebel TamilNet claimed that a 15-member team entered Dakshina in five vessels and attacked four Sri Lankan naval vessels and installations. At least three explosive-laden attack vessels attacked naval crafts, including a tsunami damaged sub chaser and destroyed a Fast Attack Craft and two water jet inshore patrol vessels anchored in the port base. However these have not been substantiated or excepted by the Sri Lankan defence ministry.
There are no Sea Tiger
Sea Tigers
The Sea Tigers was the naval wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam during the Sri Lankan Civil War. It was founded in 1984. The Sea Tigers had a number of small but effective suicide bomber vessels. During its existence it had gained a reputation as a capable adversary for the Sri Lankan Navy...
bases close by, it is believed attackers must have travelled a long distance to get to Galle
Galle
Galle is a city situated on the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka, 119 km from Colombo. Galle is the capital city of Southern Province of Sri Lanka and it lies in Galle District....
. Some of the attackers died in the attack, while others escaped into the town - their fate is unknown while the navy carried out search operations.
The defence ministry said two people had been killed, one of them a sailor. At least 26 others, civilians among them, had been wounded, a statement said.
Aftermath
The Sri Lankan government respond with airstriks in to rebel territory. A Riot began in the Galle, but was stopped when the police imposed a curfew in the area. CommodoreCommodore (rank)
Commodore is a military rank used in many navies that is superior to a navy captain, but below a rear admiral. Non-English-speaking nations often use the rank of flotilla admiral or counter admiral as an equivalent .It is often regarded as a one-star rank with a NATO code of OF-6, but is not always...
Manil Mendis, Commander of the Southern Naval Area was Court-martial and found guilty of two counts for not taking adequate precautions and counter-measures relating to the incident.