Sri Lanka: SF Shells Hit 'Safe Zone' Kills 169 Civilians Injures 234 more including Children

G. Vickram - TNS

Mulaitivu: 169 civilians including scores of children were killed and 234 more were injured including many children when indiscriminate rain of shells including cluster types of shells, Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher, long range gun fire and MI24 gunship firing by the Sri Lankan Security Forces (SF) hit government announced new 'Safe Zone' in Puthumathalan, Mulivaaikal, Irraddaivaikal, Idaikadu and Valaingaramadam in Mulaitivu area on Saturday, according to the civilian sources in Mulaitivu.

Despite Mahinda Rajapakse, the president, declared a 48-hour ceasefire on last Monday admits his announcement Sri Lankan forces continued to fire artillery barrages and gun fires into Safe Zone, killing scores of civilians wounding more including children, sources added. The LTTE said the truce was too short and called for a permanent, internationally arranged ceasefire.

Today, SF used excessive amount of internationally banned cluster bombs on the civilians’ settlements in the Safe Zone. 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.