Sri Lanka: Heavy SF Shelling on 'Safe Zone' Kills 131 Civilians including 32 Children

Sri Lanka: Heavy SF Shelling on 'Safe Zone' Kills 131 Civilians including 32 Children
Mar 27, 2009, 00:04 Digg this story!

G. Vickram - TNS

Mulaitivu: 131 civilians including 32 children were killed and 242 more were injured including 49 children when indiscriminate rain of shells including cluster types of shells , Sri Lankan Air Forces bombing and RPG attacks by the Sri Lankan Security Forces (SF) hit government announced new 'Safe Zone' in Puthumathalan, Mulivaaikal and Valaingaramadam in Mulaitivu area on Thursday.

The SF troopers also deployed extensively RPG shells, short range mortars and long distance gunfire on the safety zone during the daytime on Tuesday in addition to 12 air strikes in the settlements surrounding the Pachchaip-pulmoaddai junction within the safety zone.
Medical authorities reported that 185 wounded were admitted to the makeshift hospita in Maaththa'lan on Wednesday.
Multi Barrel Rocket Fire (MBRL) was also reported inside the safety zone at Pokkanai around 3:00 p.m. Wednesday. 16 civilians, including 4 children, were killed by a single MBRL rocket that hit an IDP hut in the coastal side of Pokkanai. 9 of the 27 wounded were children. Many of the dead succumbed to burn injuries caused by MBRL fire. 33 more civilians including 11 children were killed and 72 wounded included 27 children in Pokka'nai area in MBRL and artillery fire. Many tarpaulin shelters and properties were destroyed in MBRL fire. 3 shops were destoryed in Pokkanai.

Mortar attack was reported along the same stretch from 4:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. At least one mortar shell hit the area every 5 to 10 minutes, causing 23 deaths. Many of the wounded succumbed to their injuries due to the lack of medical transportation as the road was being continuously targeted by the SLA which used RPG rockets, gun and mortar fire to attack the road and the surrounding tarpaulin huts of the IDPs.

TRO and Tamileelam police officials were struggling to save the lives of the wounded.

Meanwhile, SLAF bombers attacked the area within the 'safety zone' at least 6 times. Two SLAF bombers attacked Pachchaip-pulmoaddai and Mu'l'livaaykkaal, dropping around 29 bombs, killing 27 civilians including 6 children, 12 females and 3 elderly on the spot. The attack destroyed 37 tarpaulin shelters. 85 tarpaulin huts with the properties were destroyed in the attacks inside the safety zone by the SLA and the SLAF on Wednesday.
Children dying in large numbers injuring in large numbers are sure to leave long time scars in their minds of the Tamil community at large and Sri Lanka has to live with the consequences for very many years and decades to come. It is so unfortunate, there is no statement ship emerges from Sri Lanka to guide the country to the lasting peace with the solution satisfying the minority Tamil community, said a local aid worker in Vanni.

SF troopers' indiscriminate aerial and shell attacks killed hundreds and many hundreds injured within past few months while displaced over 300,000 including 40,000 children who are living in subhuman conditions. UNHRC statement last week said, at least 2800 civilians were killed and over 7000 injured within past two months of shelling in the war zone in Vanni. Also, UNICEF said, hundreds of children were killed thousands more were injured within past two months.