Today at around 2.30 a.m out at sea off Point Pedro, MV Mercs Uhana, a merchant vessel carrying food and other essentials, chartered by private traders was attacked by the LTTE suicide cadres, the special Media Information Centre said. As per information available, at present 21 out of 28 crew members have been rescued and the fire on board the ship has been brought under control, but the food items and other essentials have been totally destroyed.
Military sources confirm that there was no military cargo on board the vessel.
According to sources, the attack came three weeks after the Tigers carried out a similar attack against a Navy gun boat in the same area, killing 21 sailors and losing 13 of their own fighters. Forces depend on a vital sea route to Jaffna to provide supplies to both security forces and nearly half a million Tamil civilians in the region, because the land route to the peninsula is being threatened by the terrorists. Brigadier Palitha Fernando, the Military Spokesman said that two of the main reasons for the attack on the vessel is to destruct civilian life in the North-East and also to prevent civilians from residing in these areas, especially since there have been constant threats to the lives of these people by the LTTE, who wanted them to leave the Jaffna Peninsula. Further details will follow.