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“Civilians fleeing LTTE areas”

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s Air Force on Saturday claimed to have bombed an LTTE strongpoint located northeast of Akkarayankulam tank-bund in Kilinochchi.

Separately, a Defence Ministry statement claimed 41 civilians in two groups broke out of LTTE-held areas and arrived at the Omanthai roadblock.

“Civilians of both groups are residents of Semamadhu and Nainamadu in Vavuniya district and they stated that they had been forcibly engaged in military duties,” said the Ministry. The pro-LTTE TamilNet website claimed people in Wanni marched towards two government agents’ offices and two Divisional Secretariat offices on Friday, protesting against the government’s restrictions on food and essential supplies.

They blamed Colombo for using humanitarian supplies as a tool of war to force civilians to flee against their will into the hands of the Army, it said.

“K. Mahethevan, a representative of Wanni Peoples Welfare Organisation, addressing more than 5,000 protesters in front of Kilinochchi Government Agent’s office at Tharmapuram, described how the supplies were reduced from 600 trucks per month in 2007 to 250 trucks per month in 2008, but only 54 have been allowed to cross into Wanni in the recent days,” said the website.

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