Bandaranaike Airport attack
Encyclopedia
The Bandaranaike Airport attack was an assault by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
(LTTE) on Bandaranaike International Airport
, on July 24, 2001. The attack was one of the boldest the LTTE has mounted during its war
with the Sri Lanka
n government, and had a profound impact on the country's military, economy
, and airline industry.
in 1983, in which thousands of Tamil
s were killed by Sinhalese
mobs. This is considered the start of Sri Lanka's war. The rebels had warned on July 2 that they would resume attacks unless the military stopped bombing rebel positions in the north and east of the country.
suicide squad infiltrated Katunayake
air base, located about 35 km (22 mi) north of Colombo
. After destroying electricity transformers to plunge the base in darkness, they cut through the barbed wire surrounding the base to begin their assault. Using rocket-propelled grenades, anti-tank weapon
s, and assault rifle
s, the militants attacked air force planes. They were not able to attack the aircraft parked in hangar
s but did destroy eight military aircraft on the tarmac: three K-8 Karakorum
trainer aircraft, one Mil Mi-17
helicopter, one Mil Mi-24
helicopter, two IAI Kfir
fighter jets, and a MiG-27
. Five K-8s and one MiG-27 were also damaged. A total of 26 aircraft were either damaged or destroyed in the attack.
Some of the LTTE members climbed to the top of the air base's control tower
, which they used as a vantage point.
Eight Tigers and three air force officers died in the battle at the air base. The six remaining LTTE members then crossed the runway to nearby Bandaranaike Airport. Using their weapons, they began blowing up civilian aircraft, which were all empty. One Airbus A340
was destroyed by an explosive charge; an A330
was destroyed by a rocket fired from the control tower. In addition, an A320-200 and an A340-300 were damaged in the assault.
The attack was over by 8:30 am. All 14 guerrillas were killed, along with six Sri Lankan air force personnel and one soldier killed by friendly fire. 12 soldiers were injured, along with three Sri Lankan civilians and a Russian engineer. No foreign tourists were harmed during the attack.
The three Airbuses destroyed constituted three of SriLankan Airlines
' 12 aircraft. The three other damaged aircraft meant that half of the Airlines' planes were out of commission.
during the assault due to the threat of attack. The cost of replacing the civilian aircraft was estimated at $350 million USD. The attack caused a slowdown in the economy of Sri Lanka, to about -1.4%. Tourism
also plummeted, dropping 15.5% at the end of the year.
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 Bandaranaike International Airport
Bandaranaike International Airport
Bandaranaike International Airport is Sri Lanka's only international airport at the moment. Mattala International Airport, when it gets built will be the second International Airport of Sri Lanka. It is located in Katunayake, north of Colombo...
, on July 24, 2001. The attack was one of the boldest the LTTE has mounted during its war
Sri Lankan civil war
The Sri Lankan Civil War was a conflict fought on the island of Sri Lanka. Beginning on July 23, 1983, there was an on-and-off insurgency against the government by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a separatist militant organization which fought to create an independent Tamil state named Tamil...
with the 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...
n government, and had a profound impact on the country's military, economy
Economy of Sri Lanka
With an economy worth $56 billion , and a per capita GDP of about $7000 , Sri Lanka has mostly had strong growth rates in recent years...
, and airline industry.
Background
Reports said that the LTTE timed the attack to coincide with the rioting of Black JulyBlack July
Black July is the commonly used name for the anti-Tamil pogrom and attacks carried out by mobs in Sri Lanka which began on July 23, 1983. The riots occurred following a deadly ambush by a Tamil militant organization known as Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam which killed 13 Sri Lanka Army soldiers...
in 1983, in which thousands of Tamil
Tamil people
Tamil people , also called Tamils or Tamilians, are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, India and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. Historic and post 15th century emigrant communities are also found across the world, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Canada,...
s were killed by Sinhalese
Sinhalese people
The Sinhalese are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group,forming the majority of Sri Lanka,constituting 74% of the Sri Lankan population.They number approximately 15 million worldwide.The Sinhalese identity is based on language, heritage and religion. The Sinhalese speak Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan language and the...
mobs. This is considered the start of Sri Lanka's war. The rebels had warned on July 2 that they would resume attacks unless the military stopped bombing rebel positions in the north and east of the country.
Assault
Around 3:30 am on July 24, 14 members of the LTTE Black TigerLTTE Black Tiger
The Black Tigers were a wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a militant Sri Lankan separatist organization. They were specially selected and trained LTTE cadres whose missions included mounting suicide attacks against military and civilian targets...
suicide squad infiltrated Katunayake
Katunayake
Katunayake , is a town situated on the west coast of the island of Sri Lanka near Negombo and close to the commercial capital of Colombo. It is the site of Bandaranaike International Airport, the primary international air gateway to Sri Lanka...
air base, located about 35 km (22 mi) north of Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
. After destroying electricity transformers to plunge the base in darkness, they cut through the barbed wire surrounding the base to begin their assault. Using rocket-propelled grenades, anti-tank weapon
Anti-tank warfare
Anti-tank warfare was created by the need to seek technology and tactics to destroy tanks and their supporting infantry during the First World War...
s, and assault rifle
Assault rifle
An assault rifle is a selective fire rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge and a detachable magazine. Assault rifles are the standard infantry weapons in most modern armies...
s, the militants attacked air force planes. They were not able to attack the aircraft parked in hangar
Hangar
A hangar is a closed structure to hold aircraft or spacecraft in protective storage. Most hangars are built of metal, but other materials such as wood and concrete are also sometimes used...
s but did destroy eight military aircraft on the tarmac: three K-8 Karakorum
Hongdu JL-8
The Hongdu JL-8 is a two-seat intermediate jet trainer and light attack aircraft designed in the People's Republic of China by China Nanchang Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation. The primary contractor for this plane is the Hongdu Aviation Industry Corporation...
trainer aircraft, one Mil Mi-17
Mil Mi-17
The Mil Mi-17 is a Russian helicopter currently in production at two factories in Kazan and Ulan-Ude...
helicopter, one Mil Mi-24
Mil Mi-24
The Mil Mi-24 is a large helicopter gunship and attack helicopter and low-capacity troop transport with room for 8 passengers. It is produced by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and operated since 1972 by the Soviet Air Force, its successors, and by over thirty other nations.In NATO circles the export...
helicopter, two IAI Kfir
IAI Kfir
The Israel Aircraft Industries Kfir is an Israeli-built all-weather, multirole combat aircraft based on a modified Dassault Mirage 5 airframe, with Israeli avionics and an Israeli-made version of the General Electric J79 turbojet engine.-Background:...
fighter jets, and a MiG-27
Mikoyan MiG-27
The Mikoyan MiG-27 is a variable-geometry ground-attack aircraft, originally built by the Mikoyan design bureau in the Soviet Union and later license-produced in India by Hindustan Aeronautics as the Bahadur . It is based on the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 fighter aircraft, but optimized for...
. Five K-8s and one MiG-27 were also damaged. A total of 26 aircraft were either damaged or destroyed in the attack.
Some of the LTTE members climbed to the top of the air base's control tower
Control tower
A control tower, or more specifically an Air Traffic Control Tower , is the name of the airport building from which the air traffic control unit controls the movement of aircraft on and around the airport. Control towers are also used to control the traffic for other forms of transportation such...
, which they used as a vantage point.
Eight Tigers and three air force officers died in the battle at the air base. The six remaining LTTE members then crossed the runway to nearby Bandaranaike Airport. Using their weapons, they began blowing up civilian aircraft, which were all empty. One Airbus A340
Airbus A340
The Airbus A340 is a long-range four-engine wide-body commercial passenger jet airliner. Developed by Airbus Industrie,A consortium of European aerospace companies, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS and since 2001 has been known as Airbus SAS. a consortium of European aerospace companies, which is...
was destroyed by an explosive charge; an A330
Airbus A330
The Airbus A330 is a wide-body twin-engine jet airliner made by Airbus, a division of EADS. Versions of the A330 have a range of and can accommodate up to 335 passengers in a two-class layout or carry of cargo....
was destroyed by a rocket fired from the control tower. In addition, an A320-200 and an A340-300 were damaged in the assault.
The attack was over by 8:30 am. All 14 guerrillas were killed, along with six Sri Lankan air force personnel and one soldier killed by friendly fire. 12 soldiers were injured, along with three Sri Lankan civilians and a Russian engineer. No foreign tourists were harmed during the attack.
The three Airbuses destroyed constituted three of SriLankan Airlines
SriLankan Airlines
SriLankan Airlines Limited is the flag carrier airline of Sri Lanka. It operates to destinations in Asia and Europe from its base and hub at Bandaranaike International Airport . The airline's trademark phrase is 'You're Our World', and the company's logo features a stylized peacock...
' 12 aircraft. The three other damaged aircraft meant that half of the Airlines' planes were out of commission.
Effects
Bandaranaike Airport was closed for 14 hours during and after the attack. Flights were diverted to IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
during the assault due to the threat of attack. The cost of replacing the civilian aircraft was estimated at $350 million USD. The attack caused a slowdown in the economy of Sri Lanka, to about -1.4%. Tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
also plummeted, dropping 15.5% at the end of the year.