KARUNA SHINSHO, CNN ANCHOR: An attack by Tamil rebels in Sri Lanka shut down the country's international airport at Colombo, killing 17 people. Now, government jets are retaliating against rebel positions. Kasra Naji has the story.</s>KASRA NAJI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The fighting went on for several hours. It started in the dead of night, at 3:30 in the morning. Tamil Tiger rebels, thought to number between 20 to 30, first attacked the military airbase, and then they moved to the adjacent airport, the international airport. This is the first attack against a civilian target this year by Tamil Tigers. They are fighting for a separate Tamil homeland in the north and the east of the country. The military has confirmed that 14 airplanes were either destroyed or damaged. Sri Lankan Airways says two of its airbus passenger planes were completely destroyed, while three others suffered damage, one structurally. The attack came at the busiest time at the airport. Many international flights from Colombo take off in the early hours of the morning. Hundreds of tourists were caught in the crossfire.</s>PIPPA HUTCHINGS, AIRPORT WITNESS: You could hear lots of explosions, and see, like, pink fire from the explosions, and you could see gunfire. It was very close by. That's why we lay down on the floor. I didn't know whether I was going to come out alive. I said goodbye to my husband.</s>NAJI: The big question now is how the rebels were able to infiltrate a heavily guarded airport. The attack today signals a stalled peace process here is in terminal danger, and Sri Lanka may once again plunge into a period of violence and political uncertainty. Kasra Naji, CNN, Colombo.
Attack by Tamil Rebels in Sri Lanka Shuts Down Country's International Airport