Sri Lanka has escalated sea and land attacks against Tamil Tigers and killed at least 18 people, a day after the rebels shelled helicopters carrying diplomats and a minister, officials said Wednesday.
The navy engaged a flotilla of rebel boats off the northeastern coast in a pre-dawn clash, sinking two craft together with at least 15 people, navy spokesman Commander D.K.P. Dassanayake said.
The three-hour confrontation with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) off Pulmoddai wounded at least two navy sailors, he said.
"There were about 14 Sea Tiger boats. The navy destabilised two of the boats. We believe about 15 to 16 people were there in the two boats that were destroyed," Dassanayake said.
In southern waters, naval patrol craft fired at a "large ship" which exploded and burnt for over two hours, Dassanayake said.
"We contacted the vessel on radio and the information they gave us turned out to be wrong," he said. "The vessel had no identification marks and after we fired warning shots, they began to attack our patrol craft. We retaliated."
He said the 75-metre (250 feet) long vessel was believed to be carrying a large haul of arms for the Tigers. However, there was no immediate word from the rebels.
Military spokesman Prasad Samarasinghe said three suspected Tiger rebels were also shot dead by a foot patrol of the elite police Special Task Force commandos in the northwest district of Mannar early Wednesday.
The land and sea battles came a day after the Tigers shelled two military helicopters carrying ambassadors from France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States, European Union and the heads of UN agencies.
The Italian and US ambassadors as well as the UN resident coordinator were among more than a dozen people wounded in the attack in the eastern town of Batticaloa, 300 kilometres (187 miles) east of the capital by road.
Tuesday's attack was one of the worst against foreigners in the country's civil war which has claimed over 60,000 lives in the past 35 years.
"The attack was a pre-determined, pre-planned attempt on the lives of the diplomats by the LTTE," Government defence spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella told reporters on Wednesday.
Rambukwella said his initial information was that the German ambassador was also wounded because witnesses had seen him fallen, but the embassy here said their envoy was not hurt.
Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe, who accompanied the diplomats, said injuries to the ambassadors were minor. Samarasinghe was unhurt.
Rambukwella, who is also the foreign employment minister, said the military would keep up retaliatory attacks to neutralise rebel gun positions.
Shortly after Tuesday's Tiger shelling, war planes bombed suspected Tiger jungle bases.
Military sources said ground troops were also moving against the Tigers, but there have been no major clashes so far.
In New York, UN chief Ban Ki-moon condemned the attack against diplomats taking part in a humanitarian assessment mission.
The German EU presidency called for a resumption of negotiations to restart Sri Lanka's stalled peace process.
The Tigers said they were unaware diplomats were visiting Batticaloa and blamed the government for risking the foreigners' lives.
At least 20 civilians were wounded in the military shelling, the Tigers added.
