51.   The USS Nassau, the helicopter assault ship, was the main staging base for the evacuation from Tirana.

52.   Tigers fired machine guns at helicopter gun ships but were unable to down any.

53.   Tiger cadres nearby retaliated, attacking a helicopter gun ship in the area but the pilots were able to bring it back to base, the officials said.

54.   Military officials denied shelling civilian targets but admit they deploy helicopter gun ships to bomb identified Tiger targets in the Jaffna peninsula.

55.   Officials sources said that the LTTE had also fired at the armour-plated helicopter gun ships but there was no serious damage to the aircraft.

56.   The attack came as helicopter gun ships and jets increased attacks against suspected Tiger bases deep inside jungles in north-eastern Sri Lanka, defence officials here said.

57.   The aircraft were not that effective in combating the guerrillas, the sources said, adding that helicopter gun ships were more useful in attacking the rebels.