Bandaranaike Airport attack

01The raid

The attack came on the anniversary of the anti-Tamil riots of July 1983. The Black Tigers cut through the perimeter of the air base at night, fired rockets and planted charges on parked fighters, trainers and helicopters, then crossed to the civilian apron, where airliners of SriLankan Airlines were destroyed or damaged. Fighting went on into the morning until the last attackers were killed. No passengers on the airliners died, as the aircraft were empty.

02The cost

The raid destroyed a large part of the air force’s front line and half the national airline’s fleet in one night. Insurers raised war-risk premiums on shipping and flights to Sri Lanka, tourism collapsed, and in 2001 the economy shrank for the first time since independence. The shock helped push both sides toward the Norwegian-brokered ceasefire agreement signed in February 2002. Security at Katunayake was rebuilt from the ground up.