Tsunami did not wreck our navy: LTTE

The LTTE's naval chief has denied widespread speculation that the tsunami has wreaked his outfit, writes PK Balachanddran.

The LTTE's naval chief, Colonel Soosai, has denied speculation in south Sri Lanka that the tsunami has wreaked his outfit. He told the London-based Tamil TV station "Deepam" on Wednesday, that the damage inflicted by the tsunami was "not that significant".

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According to him three of Sea Tiger cadres were in killed in Vadamarachchi, and three in Mullaitivu. The dead included one Major Dharmendra. A woman cadre who had come on leave to Vadamarachchi East was also washed away.

"We did not suffer any loss of personnel in Vattuvagal and Chalai (other Sea Tiger bases on the east coast). But we suffered some property damage. In Trincomalee and Batticaloa, two observation posts were washed away. The losses are not that significant," Soosai said.

The Sri Lankan President, Chandrika Kumaratunga, on the other hand, said that the LTTE navy's losses were significant. Their Sea Tigers bases had lost a lot of assets because they were on the path of the tsunami, the President told a press conference in Colombo on Wednesday.

"War seems remote at this point of time if only because the LTTE has suffered significant losses in men and material," the President said.