Wounded Tamil Sri Lankans rescued from war zone

Sri Lankans rescued from war zone

Sri Lanka has maintained its push against the LTTE in the face of claims that civilians have been killed [AFP]

Hundreds of people wounded in the crossfire between Sri Lankan government forces and Tamil Tiger fighters have been removed from the war zone on a UN convoy, the world body says.

The rescue operation in the north of the country on Thursday came as the Sri Lankan army maintained its assault against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

"The convoy just crossed the frontline with hundreds of the civilians wounded by the fighting, including 50 critically wounded children, who are being moved to a ministry of health hospital in Vavuniya," Gordon Weiss, a UN spokesman, said.

Government forces have pushed the Tamil Tigers into a 300sq km pocket of territory in Mullaittivu district.

But humanitarian relief organisations say that about 250,000 civilians are still trapped in the rebel-held area.

UN concerned

Speaking from northern Sri Lanka on Thursday, Tony Birtley, Al Jazeera's correspondent, said: "The United Nations agency is Sri Lanka is now seriously concerned for the well-being of civilians in the small and ever-shrinking pocket in the north of the country, which is controlled by the Tamil Tigers."

Government forces have the Tigers in a stranglehold, he said.

"The army and air force will use its aerial power and reconnaissance ability when they move into thick jungle around Mullaittivu," Birtley said.

"At the moment, the government forces are fighting on conventional lines, as we understand. We have seen a number of army casualties.

"The army maintains it is inflicting more damage on the LTTE but we only have their word for it."

The LTTE has accused the army of shelling a no-fire zone it set up last week for civilians. TamilNet, a pro-LLT website, on Wednesday said 23 civilians were killed and 121 wounded, quoting unidentified medical sources.

But the Sri Lankan government insists there have been "zero civilian casualties" in its operations, and that the LTTE has moved its artillery into populated areas.

'Civilian tragedy'

Jacques de Maio, the head of Red Cross operations for South Asia, said on Wednesday: "People are being caught in the crossfire, hospitals and ambulances have been hit by shelling and several aid workers have been injured while evacuating the wounded.

"It's high time to take decisive action and stop further bloodshed because time is running out."

"It is high time to take decisive action and stop further bloodshed because time is running out"

Jacques de Maio, the head of Red Cross operations for South Asia

The military says the LTTE, which claims to be fighting for the creation of an independent Tamil state in northern Sri Lanka, wants to create a "last-minute civilian tragedy" because the army was about to completely defeat them.

Udaya Nanayakkara, a military spokesman, said claims of civilian deaths are part of a "cheap propaganda exercise" by the LTTE.

The government has said civilians are being forced to move with the Tigers to act as human shields, but there has been no independent confirmation that is the case.

The Red Cross' De Maio said: "When the dust settles, we may see countless victims and a terrible humanitarian situation unless civilians are protected and international humanitarian law is respected in all circumstances."

Village captured

On the war front, Sri Lankan forces pushed into the northern village of Visuamadu, held by the LTTE, on Wednesday, a defence ministry official said.

He said the Tigers withdrew their long-range artillery guns into an area declared a 35sq km "safe zone" for civilians, and were firing at the military from there.

The military seized Mullaittivu on Sunday, which they said was the LTTE's last urban centre.

A fresh offensive against the LTTE was launched by the government late last year, shrinking the northern territory under its control.

Thousands of people have been killed in Sri Lanka since the LTTE launched its war in 1972.
Source: Al Jazeera and agencies