Associated Press Writer

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) _ Sri Lanka's military repulsed a Tamil rebel suicide attack on the capital's port on Saturday when it destroyed three suspicious boats offshore, the Defense Ministry said.

The boats did not stop when ordered to do so, forcing the navy to fire at them, said Lt. Col. Upali Rajapakse, a senior official at the ministry's media unit.

``The navy managed to destroy one of the boats and later the air force came in to help and completed the mission,'' Rajapakse said.

The three suspected rebel boats had entered a ``high security zone'' near Colombo where unauthorized vessels are not allowed, Rajapakse said. They were noticed by a guard at a lighthouse who alerted a naval patrol.

``Navy troops fired at the first boat, suspected to be a suicide craft, with one of them experiencing a large explosion,'' said military spokesman Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe, who blamed the rebels' sea wing for the incursion.

The shock wave of the explosion forced open the doors of three containers onboard a ship which was about to enter the port, said Rear Admiral Ananda Peiris, in charge of naval security in the area.

There was no damage to the Peloponesian Pride, which was flying a Panama flag, or its crew, Peiris said.

The first boat was destroyed about 10 kilometers (6 miles) off the coast, another 18 kilometers (11 miles) away, and the third 23 kilometers (14 miles) at sea, Rajapakse said, adding that no naval vessels suffered damage.

Casualty figures for the sunken ships were not immediately known, he said.

Colombo's port is an important lifeline for the island country and is heavily guarded by the navy.

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam have carried out previous suicide boat attacks against navy vessels and bases. In October last year, Tamil Tigers posing as fishermen blew up two boats in a suicide attack on a naval base in Galle, 110 kilometers (70 miles) from Colombo on the southern coast, killing at least one sailor and 15 rebels.

The rebels have been fighting since 1983 to establish an independent homeland in the north and east for Sri Lanka's ethnic minority Tamils, following decades of discrimination by the Sinhalese-dominated government.

Published: Sat Jan 27 04:09:25 EST 2007

The boat was sunk after ignoring orders to stop. Two other boats managed to make their escape.

There was no word on casualties, but local residents reported hearing heavy gunfire near the port.

The Tamil Tigers want an independent homeland in the north and east for the country's minority Tamil community.

The boats were seen about 0530 (0000GMT) in a "high security zone" which is out of bounds to unauthorised vessels.

A guard at a lighthouse noticed the boats and alerted the navy. More... Published: Fri Jan 26 22:25:28 EST 2007

In its latest assessment report after the fall of Vaharai, the SLMM said the LTTE has withdrawn from the area and is believed to be regrouping in the jungle north and west of Batticaloa and into Trincomalee district.

"It is plausible that the LTTE has decided not to hold territory in the east, but will remain present. The situation in Kilinochchi is tense, but remains calm and quiet on the surface", it said.

Guerilla war plan

Implied in the observation is the suggestion that though the Tigers might vacate the territory, they would continue to be present in the region to wage a guerilla war.

In response to the fall of Vaharai, the SLMM sent a Rapid Response Team (RRT) consisting of two monitors to Batticaloa. However, the team could not enter Vaharai due to security reasons. The RRT, however, met the commander of the 23 division deployed in the area.

The SLMM report said 8,000 more internally displaced persons have been housed in several camps in Batticaloa district.

"Following the loss of Vaharai, there are indications for the LTTE moving north, towards the jungle between More... Published: Fri Jan 26 18:26:36 EST 2007