Lankan navy destroys suspected rebel boat

Sri Lanka's Navy destroyed a boat suspected of ferrying arms for Tamil Tiger rebels off the island's west coast, military officials said.

Sri Lanka's Navy on Monday destroyed a boat suspected of ferrying arms for Tamil Tiger rebels off the island's west coast, the military said.

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The navy spotted a suspicious fishing boat off the coast of Chilaw, 70 kilometres north of Colombo, and was fired upon by its six occupants when they approached, an official at the Media Center for National Security said.

The navy returned fire and the boat caught fire with a huge explosion, the officer said on condition of anonymity, citing policy.