Tamil Tiger rebels staged a suicide bomb attack against an oil tanker off Sri Lanka's northern coast Tuesday, the defence ministry said.
Members of the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) appeared to have rammed the tanker with a boat packed with explosives, ministry spokesman Sanath Karunaratne said.
"There were 10 army men and a navy officer on board in addition to the tanker crew," Karunaratne said. "We haven't got reports of any survivors."
The locally owned Silk Pride was on fire after the attack off the coast of Point Pedro, Karunaratne said.
The LTTE has carried out several attacks against the navy off the island's north-eastern sea board.
The Tiger guerrillas tried to stage a similar attack against a ship transporting 1,200 government soldiers off the Jaffna peninsula on September 16, but the attack was foiled by the navy -- COLOMBO, (AFP)
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