Sri Lanka denies intrusion of airspace by US fighter jets

Sri Lanka said US fighter jets had not violated its oceanic air space - days after a report claimed American aircraft had illegally entered into the country's territory.

Sri Lanka said US fighter jets had not violated its oceanic air space - days after a report claimed American aircraft had illegally entered into the country's territory.

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"The investigation carried out by officials have shown that the alleged air operation had taken place outside Sri Lanka's sovereign air space," Priyankara Jayaratne, the minister of civil aviation, informed the parliament.

Jayaratne's comments came a day after the US Embassy refuted local media reports on Aught 3 that a squadron of 10 US fighter jets violated the country's air space.

The minister said he was making the statement as failure to clarify speculative reports may cause tension on the good relations with Sri Lanka's friendly states.

The opposition JVP or the People's Liberation Front on Monday urged to bare the truth of an alleged intrusion of Sri Lankan air space by US fighter craft.

The tracking station atop Piduruthalagala the nation's highest elevation had allegedly spotted the US aircraft – believed to be a jet squadron from the US seventh fleet. The JVP wondered if the intrusion was caused by the 2007 signing of the Acquisition and Cross-Services Agreement (ACSA) between the US and Sri Lanka which provides for among other things logistics supplies and re-fuelling facilities.