Sri Lankan leader's helicopter attacked

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, July 1 (UPI) -- Unknown attackers took aim at a helicopter that had just dropped off Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa for a ceremony Tuesday, authorities said.

The Bell 412 aircraft was hit by gunfire shortly after taking off again, the BBC reported. The Sri Lankan military issued a statement, saying the helicopter made an emergency landing and a bullet hole was found in one of its fuel tanks, the British network said.

It wasn't clear who had shot at the aircraft but the Ampara region where the attack occurred is not considered a stronghold of the Tamil Tiger rebels, who have been battling the government for years, the report said.

Rajapaksa had been dropped off at a public rally to re-open a bridge that had been demolished by the 2004 tsunami.