By DPA
Colombo : Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayke Wednesday disclosed that eight aircraft were destroyed by Tamil rebels in a ground and air attack on a military base in north central Sri Lanka two days ago.
But the opposition is claiming as many as 18 aircraft were destroyed, costing the island nation more than $50 million.
In a special statement to parliament, Wickremanayke said two Mi-17 helicopters, one K-8 jet trainer, and four other small planes were destroyed at the Anuradhapura air base, 180 kilometres north of the capital, in Monday’s attack, while a Bell-212 helicopter crashed as it made an attempt to pursue a rebel plane.
He said one Mi-24 helicopter was also damaged in the attack.
The main opposition United National Party (UNP) claimed that up to 18 aircraft were destroyed, costing the government more than $50 million and inflicting a heavy blow on the security forces.
UNP Member of Parliament Lakshman Seneviratne said the government should disclose the correct information to the public and called for the resignation of defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, brother of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, and air force commander Air Vice Marshal Roshan Gunatillake.
Prime Minister Wickramanayake said the information furnished to parliament was the most accurate information available and it was unrealistic to believe that terrorism could be eradicated with the resignation of officials.
Early Monday at least 22 Tamil rebels, most of them suicide attackers, infiltrated the air base by cutting a wire mesh and launched the ground attack while two rebel light aircraft flying over the base dropped two bombs.
Sri Lankan soldiers killed all 22 rebels while 10 airmen and a soldier were killed in the firefights. Four air force officials were killed in the helicopter crash.
However, only 20 bodies were recovered and all were buried in Anuradhapura instead of the usual practice of handing them to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
The military said the decision was taken to bury the bodies immediately as they were mutilated and were fast deteriorating.
The disclosure came as fighting between the government forces and rebels left at least nine rebels and a soldier dead in three separate incidents in the northern province Tuesday.
The opposition is now questioning the air capability of the air force and about the precautions taken to prevent air strikes from the rebels of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
Rebels have previously used their light aircraft to drop bombs at an air force base adjoining the international airport in Katunayaka, 35 kilometres north of the capital, killing three airmen, and at oil installations around the capital. In the north, they killed six soldiers at a military camp.
Soon after the incidents, the government declared that all precautions had been taken to prevent such attacks in the future.
Fighting in the north and eastern parts of Sri Lanka has escalated during the past two years, claiming more than 5,300 lives.