Colombo airport

Journalists were not allowed to visit the site of emergency landing of the MI-24 helicopter.

Government say that the airport is 'functioning as normal' after the Katunayake air force base activated the air defence system.

Government say the airport was only closed temporarily.

Conflicting reports

The defence ministry says an 'enemy aircraft' was detected by the air defence staff.

Katunayake Sri Lanka Air Force has engaged its air defence weapons at a suspicious air craft observed in the Katunayake sky short while ago defence ministry

"Katunayake Sri Lanka Air Force has engaged its air defence weapons at a suspicious air craft observed in the Katunayake sky short while ago. The suspicious air move has been detected by the air defence radar around 10.45 p.m ." defence.lk website cited

However, the media centre for national security say there was no aircraft.

"No air craft move or attack occurred" said, www.rnhit.com.

Katunayake International Air Port was temporarily closed for civil aircraft movement.

flares in Trincomalee

Meanwhile residents in Trincomalee say they saw flares being fired in the air.

No air craft move or attack occurred National security

The incident comes a month after the rebels launched their first air raid on a government target, dropping bombs on a military facility at the airport. The Tamil Tigers mounted a second air raid earlier this week (on military positions in the north of the country).

Bandaranaike international airport shares a runway with the airbase. Residents in the area told the BBC, the gunfire went on for about
ten minutes.

'panic situation'

A woman passenger at the airport told the AFP news agency by telephone, "Passengers were ordered to the ground floor after we heard gun fire and some blasts,"

"It was a panic situation, but no one was hurt." She added.

Immediately after the alarm was raised at the airport, a power
failure plunged the capital into darkness.