Aftermath of Saturday night foray:

'Beef-up security, target Iranamadu'!

by Ananda Kannangara

Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Group Captain Ajantha Silva was confident of the security measures taken by the Air Force and other Forces to repulse any LTTE air attacks in the future.

"We don't want to reveal our strategies, like how we tackled the situation Saturday before last and we are sure that the LTTE will not try again," he said.

Security has been beefed up to protect key installations like main petroleum distribution centres, Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery, Muthurajawela gas facility, the SLAF base at Katunayake, Kelanitissa and the Stanley power stations, the harbour, the Airport, the headquarters of all three forces and several other places.

Asked as to what steps the general public should take in the event of an LTTE air raid, Group Captain Silva advised the people not to panic and to move to safer locations such as buildings with concrete roofs.

Saranga Perera of Yakkala wants the Security Forces to attack the LTTE airbase at Iranamadu and destroy it.

"I feel the Forces must go for it at full strength otherwise sporadic attacks like the last one might occur again in the future".

Shanya Jinadasa of Gampaha was apprehensive of these air raids could do major damage within a short time compared to ground attacks.

"Therefore the government must use all its resources to locate the LTTE air base,". Duminda Gunasekara of Mirigama pointed out that the LTTE concentrates only on vital establishments and therefore suggests that top officials provide additional security to such places.

E.A.D. Lasantha of Malabe calls on the Government to create an awareness among the general public of impending attacks, if there are any and the people to be more vigilant.

Iresha Shamini of Maharagama suspects a foreign country or an organisation has a hand in it, with vested interests.

"I think it is high time the Lankan Government seeks the support of international organisations like the UN or SAARC to intervene in this matter."

A national school principal, Sirimewan Hettihewa was not happy about the recent intrusions made by the LTTE, which may cause a challenge to the country's territorial integrity. "The Defence Ministry must take a strong view on this point and I suggest the Govt. seeks the assistance of the US Government in this regard.

A third year student of the Peradeniya Medical Faculty, Gayathri Wanigasekara lamented that the government is too lenient.

"If the government do not resort to strict measures, the LTTE will strike again," he said.

A Forty-six-year-old Sudharman Gajadeera who was a graduate of the Defence Academy said that use of air power by an illegal organisation pose a threat to the national security.

"While I was following a defence course in Pakistan several years ago, Pakistan Air Force took strong measures against an illegal organisation who had assembled an aircraft".

However, he was reluctant to disclose the action taken by the then Pakistan Air Force. Nuwanjith Premawansa, a retired pilot of the SLAF said that during their time the Air Force maintained day-night surveillance to monitor illegal aircraft entering the country's air space.

"I wonder how the LTTE manage to reach up to Colombo to attack twice."

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