Bandaranaike Airport attack

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Bandaranaike Airport attack
partof=the Sri Lankan Civil War
date=July 24, 2001


caption=
place=Bandaranaike, Sri Lanka
casus=
result=Successfull LTTE commando raid
combatant1=Sri Lanka Air Force
combatant2=LTTE Black Tiger
strength1=1 military garrison
strength2=14 suicide commandos
casualties1=7 killed, 12 wounded
Aircraft destroyed:
1 Mi-17 attack helicopter, 1 Mi-24 attack helicopter, 3 K-8 jet trainers, 2 Kfir fighter jets, 1 MiG-27 fighter jet, 3 Airbuses
Aircraft damaged:
5 K-8 jet trainers, 5 Kfir fighter jets, 1 MiG-27 fighter jet, 3 Airbuses, 1 other military aircraft
casualties2=14 killedThe Bandaranaike Airport attack was an assault by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on Bandaranaike International Airport, on July 24, 2001. The attack was one of the boldest the LTTE has mounted during its war with the Sri Lankan government, and had a profound impact on the country's military, economy, and airline industry.

Background

Reports said that the LTTE timed the attack to coincide with the rioting of Black July in 1983, in which thousands of Tamils were killed by Sinhalese mobs. This is considered the start of Sri Lanka's war. The rebels had warned on July 2 that they would resume attacks unless the military stopped bombing rebel positions in the north and east of the country.

The assault

Around 3:30 am on July 24, 14 members of the LTTE Black Tiger suicide squad infiltrated Katunayake air base, located about 35km (22 mi) north of Colombo. After destroying electricity transformers to plunge the base in darkness, they cut through the barbed wire surrounding the base to begin their assault. Using rocket propelled grenades, anti-tank weapons, and assault rifles, the militants attacked the air force planes. They were not able to attack the aircraft in the hangars but did destroy eight military aircraft on the tarmac: three Nanchang K-8 trainer aircraft, one Mil Mi-17 helicopter, one Mil Mi-24 helicopter, two IAI Kfir fighter jets, and a MiG-27. Five K-8s and one MiG-27 were also damaged. A total of 26 aircraft were either damaged or destroyed in the attack. [cite web| year = 2001| url = http://www.janes.com/security/international_security/news/jir/jir010903_1_n.shtml| title = Intelligence failures exposed by Tamil Tiger airport attack| publisher = Jane's Intelligence Review| accessdate = June 3| accessyear = 2006] Some of the LTTE members climbed to the top of the air base's control tower to survey the scene to use as a vantage point. [cite web| year = 2001| url = http://www.janes.com/security/international_security/news/jir/jir010903_1_n.shtml| title = Intelligence failures exposed by Tamil Tiger airport attack| publisher = Jane's Intelligence Review| accessdate = June 3| accessyear = 2006]

Eight Tigers and three air force officers died in the battle at the air base. The six remaining LTTE members then crossed the runway to nearby Bandaranaike Airport. Using their weapons, they began blowing up any civilian aircraft they could findFact|date=February 2008, which were all empty. One Airbus A340 was destroyed by an explosive charge; an A330 was destroyed by a rocket fired from the control tower. In addition, an A320-200 and an A340-300 were damaged in the assault. [cite web| year = 2001| url = http://www.ict.org.il/spotlight/det.cfm?id=644| title = LTTE Attack Paralyzes Sri Lanka's International Airport| publisher = The Institute for Counter-Terrorism| accessdate = June 3| accessyear = 2006] [http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?]

The attack was over by 8:30 am. All 14 guerrillas were killed, along with six Sri Lankan air force personnel and one soldier killed by friendly fire. 12 soldiers were injured, along with three Sri Lankan civilians and a Russian engineer. [cite web| year = 2001| url = http://www.janes.com/security/international_security/news/jir/jir010903_1_n.shtml| title = Intelligence failures exposed by Tamil Tiger airport attack| publisher = Jane's Intelligence Review| accessdate = June 3| accessyear = 2006] No foreign tourists were harmed during the attack.

The three Airbuses destroyed constituted three of SriLankan Airlines' 12 aircraft. The three other damaged aircraft meant that half of the Airlines' planes were out of commission.

Effects

Bandaranaike Airport was closed for 14 hours during and after the attack. Flights were diverted to India during the assault due to the threat of attack. The cost of replacing the civilian aircraft was estimated at $350 million USD. The attack caused a slowdown in the economy of Sri Lanka, to about -1.4%. Tourism also plummeted, dropping 15.5% at the end of the year. [cite web| year = 2001| url = http://www.adb.org/Documents/News/2002/nr2002051.asp| title = Growth In Sri Lanka To Rise In 2002| publisher = Asian Development Bank| accessdate = June 3| accessyear = 2006]

ee also

*Sri Lankan Civil War
*Terrorist attacks attributed to the LTTE
*Notable attacks attributed to the LTTE

References

External links

* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/1453699.stm Key Sri Lankan air base attacked]
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=travel&res=9F0DE3DB1F3AF936A15754C0A9679C8B63 Rebel Attack on Airport Shocks Leaders of Sri Lanka]
* [http://www.tamilnation.org/tamileelam/armedstruggle/warfront/01072katunayake.htm Armed Struggle for Tamil - Katunayake Airport Attack, 2001]