Tamil Tiger rebels used two light aircraft to bomb and strafe an air force base next to Colombo International Airport, killing two airmen and wounding 10 others, a spokesman for the group's political wing told CNN.The rebels were targeting Russian-made MiG and Israeli-made Kfir aircraft, said spokesman S.P. Tamilsevlan in a statement issued from the rebel stronghold of Kilinochchi in northern Sri Lanka. The planes dropped four bombs before returning to their bases intact, he said. A Sri Lankan military source said they failed to hit their targets and instead hit a military hangar, setting it afire and slightly damaging two helicopters. The blaze was quickly extinguished.
The civilian side of the airport, which is separated from the air force base by a runway, did not sustain any damage. But authorities halted incoming and outgoing flights for several hours after the attack, which occurred at 12:45 a.m. (3:15 p.m. ET), the source said. The airport, located 23 kilometers (14 miles) north of the capital, was reopened by dawn. During the 3 1/2 hours it was closed, at least three flights were rerouted to Chennai, instead.