This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/south_asia/7902392.stm
The article has changed 18 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 0 | Version 1 |
---|---|
Tamil Tiger planes 'raid Colombo' | |
(10 minutes later) | |
At least one plane from Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels has attacked the capital, Colombo, officials say. | |
The city has been put on alert and anti-aircraft guns have been firing into the night sky. | |
There was one explosion by the city's port, but it was not clear if it was a bomb or a plane blowing up, a defence official said. | |
The Tigers have been fighting for a separate homeland in the north and east for a quarter of a century. | The Tigers have been fighting for a separate homeland in the north and east for a quarter of a century. |
The alert comes as the Sri Lankan army has been pressing the Tamil Tiger rebels into a narrow area of jungle in the north-east of Sri Lanka. | |
Military spokesman Brig Udaya Nanayakkara said a suspected Tamil Tiger aircraft was spotted north-east of Colombo and the capital's air defences were activated. | |
An air force spokesman said jets had been scrambled and were engaging the Tiger aircraft. | |
The Tamil Tigers have used light planes in the past to attack Colombo. | The Tamil Tigers have used light planes in the past to attack Colombo. |