International   

Humanitarian move: Colombo

COLOMBO: Amid allegations by the LTTE that 11 persons were killed on Saturday in a claymore attack by the military on fleeing civilians in the Mannar district in the north, the Defence Ministry has claimed that security forces have launched a “humanitarian operation” in the south of Mannar.

The military said it was left with no option but to launch the operation in aid of people fleeing the LTTE held territory. But the Tigers say the military is preventing people from crossing to territory under its control.

The “mission” is to “liberate” the civilians, says the Ministry.

“It has been reported that the terrorists have stepped up violence against the civilians to an alarming level during recent past putting civilians’ lives at a severe risk.

“The civilians who had braved to cross over to liberated areas have told the security forces that the civilians are regularly subjected to forced labour, torture, extortions and various other harassments in the hands of the LTTE.”

However, the Tigers charged that the “onslaught” is forcing civilians to flee. “The attack took place at around 8.45 am this morning in the Musali area on a vehicle taking fleeing civilians while the vehicle was traveling from Kokkupidiyan to Mullikulam in LTTE area. The vehicle was carrying 13 civilians from three families”, the Tigers Peace Secretariat claimed.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Benazir says she is yet to get a response from Musharraf regime
Humanitarian move: Colombo
Iraq benchmarks not met: report
Riyadh plan to defend oilfields from Al-Qaeda
Taliban militants killed
Qarase returns to Suva
Schwarzenegger postpones visit to India
Ban on yoga evokes sharp reaction
When Indians were guinea pigs

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu