Tamil Tigers attack 2 merchant ships

The Tamil Tigers have attacked two merchant ships carrying supplies to Jaffna in northern Sri Lanka, badly damaging one, defence officials say. Navy sailors on board the ships fired and destroyed two of the rebel boats and captured a third. The Tigers have not commented. The Jaffna peninsula is held by the government but cut off by territory controlled by the rebels. The attack happened in the seas off northern Sri Lanka before dawn. Three Tamil Tiger boats attacked two merchant ships heading for the Jaffna peninsular which were carrying what the Navy said were humanitarian supplies for civilians.