The Trincomalee Naval base and the adjacent Air Force base provides critical support to the military operations in the Northern theatre. On 1 August 2006 the LTTE demonstrated its capacity to target the Naval base at Trincomalee when it fired several rounds of artillery form Sampur which damaged buildings inside the Naval base. Further to this on 12 August the LTTE fired artillery to the Air Force base at China Bay near the Trincomalee harbour. These attacks clearly indicate the capability of the LTTE to use long range weaponry located at Sampur to target vital supply channels of the Security Forces around the Trincomalee harbour. In a report compiled by the US Pacific Command on the vulnerabilities of the Trincomalee Naval base clearly points out that the presence of LTTE long range weapons at Sampur is a definite threat to the safety and security of the military installation of Trincomalee.

The Trincomalee harbour is also of critical importance to the national economy. In Sri Lanka forty percent (40%) of the filling stations are operated by the Lanka Indian Oil Company (LIOC). The fuel supplies of the LIOC are stored at the Oil Tank Farm at China Bay near the Trincomalee harbour. The ability of the LTTE to target the Air Force base at China Bay clearly demonstrates that it could target the fuel storage facilities of LIOC. If the LTTE targets the LIOC fuel storage facilities this would cause a serious impact on the Sri Lanka economy by causing a shortage in fuel supplies at over 40% of filling stations countrywide.

Sri Lanka’s total wheat flour requirements are supplied by the Prima Flour Milling factory in Trincomalee. The silos and buildings of the Prima factory on the bay of the Trincomalee harbour can be targeted with LTTE long range weaponry at Sampur. Already international shipping lines transporting wheat flour have indicated reservations due to the threats at Trincomalee harbour. Any damage to this factory would have a significant impact on the food supplies within the country.

In addition the Trincomalee harbour also has several other industrial facilities such as the cement processing plant of Tokyo Cement Company.

It is in the national interest that every effort is made to neutralise the long range gun positions of the LTTE located at Sampur. In this regard a clearly defined response was necessary in the absence of any viable alternative to neutralise the threat from Sampur to the Trincomalee harbour.

Source: http://www.nationalsecurity.lk