COLOMBO (PTI): At least 18 persons were feared killed when a Sri Lankan military aircraft crashed in the war-tom Jaffna peninsula in northern Sri Lanka Sunday evening, response reaching here said.
Sri Lankan ministry said they were still awaiting details of the crash.
It could be an explosion in the aircraft’, a spokesman of the joint operation command said, adding that no substantial details were available.
It could not be ascertained if the aircraft was shot down by the LTTE militants or crashed after an explosion.
The Sri Lankan official news agency Lankapuvath said the dead included six officers and 12 other ranks of the Sri Lankan air force.
It said the aircraft a Chinese .It said the aircraft —a Chinese made ‘yak’ — was carrying ammunitions, arms and ration for the northern military base at Palali. _ The agency said the aircraft ‘crashed near Elephant Pass and that the army and air force officers had mx; ‘~ the spot and were looking for survivors.
Article extracted from this publication >> July 17, 1992
