At least 7 die in attack on Chinese vessel in S. Lanka

At least 7 die in attack on Chinese vessel in S. Lanka

COLOMBO (AFP): Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger guerrillas set ablaze a Chinese cargo carrier yesterday and killed at least seven people on board, marking an escalation in attacks against foreign vessels, officials said.

Gunmen of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) opened fire on the 34,000-ton M.V. Cordiality as it loaded ilmenite, or black ore from titanium, at a government-owned mineral sands facility near the northeastern port town of Pulmoddai.

Local navy officials said the Tiger gunmen killed five local civilian workers and two soldiers providing on board security to the vessel and escaped after setting fire to the ship's engine room.

Six more soldiers were also missing after the attack and about 10 more civilians and troops were wounded in the attack, local officials said.

"About eight or 10 Tiger boats took part in the attack," a navy official said. "We sent gun boats to the area and engaged them but we don't know the extent of their casualties."

A spokesman of the local agent for the ship, Roton Vander, said the vessel was owned by the Chinese Ocean Shipping Company and was due to leave for Rotterdam with the ilmenite cargo for a New York buyer.

The M. V. Cordiality had a 32-member all Chinese crew and two more joined the ship Monday, the spokesman said, adding the fate of the crew or the extent of damage was not immediately known.

Unconfirmed reports said eight crewmen were missing after the pre-dawn attack. But local officials said the balance crewmen were safe and unhurt after the surprise rebel raid.

The attack was the second against a foreign ship at the same port. In August last year, the LTTE attacked the Philippine- registered M. V. Princess Wave which was loading ilmenite for a Japanese consignee, officials said.

The destruction of the Chinese ship came just over two months after the LTTE hijacked a North Korean cargo vessel after killing a crew member and torched a 500-seater passenger ferry.

But the LTTE later freed the North Korean ship, the Morang Bong, and its balance 37 crewmen and the ship.

Indonesians

Two Indonesians from the passenger ferry were also freed by seven Sri Lankan crewmen are still held by the Tigers.

After those two attacks in July, the Tiger guerrillas vowed to attack merchant vessels taking supplies to their former stronghold in the island's north saying the shipments served to strengthen the military.

They said they will not allow ships to travel to the northern peninsula of Jaffna.

"The LTTE has no option but to regard these military-serving Sri Lankan vessels as legitimate military targets," the LTTE said.

It quoted the rebel leadership as saying in a policy statement that they cannot be a party to the Sri Lankan government equipping its military to "better harm and repress" the minority Tamils in the north of the country.

Financial analysts saw the Tiger attack as an attempt to discourage foreigners from coming into the country and thereby economically weaken the government that is fighting a protracted battle with the separatists.

In April last year, the LTTE staged an abortive attack against the Colombo port and damaged at least three foreign-owned ships but caused no casualties among foreigners. Nine Tigers died the suicide attack.