Treatment delayed to Aayiththiyamalai injured

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 July 2008, 03:46 GMT]
More than a hundred civilians, including women and children, assaulted by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops and policemen during the joint cordon and search operation following the claymore attack 23 June killing 3 policemen in Aayiththiyamalai, are continuing to be admitted to hospitals, sources in Batticaloa said. The injured civilians were first not allowed to go to hospitals, while the ICRC officials who went to the area to assess the situation were also sent back by the SLA troops and the police, residents of the area said.

The SLA troops and police assaulted residents of Aayiththiyamalai north and south, Narippul Choalai, Makizhavedduvaan and Unnichchai areas during the search.

Amitrham Sivakumar, 35, the father of one child and K. Iran, 30, are still in the hospital in Naalaraikkaddai Unnichchai area while a 14-year-old boy with a fractured hand is admitted in Batticaloa hospital.

Most of the civilians received internal wounds, and are still suffering from pains, hospital sources said.

Farmers from Batticaloa are afraid to go their paddy fields in Aayiththiyamalai area for fear of being attacked by SLA troops and policemen, sources in Batticaloa said.

A Claymore attack targeting policemen of Aayiththiyamalai police station in Batticaloa district, 23 June Monday around 6:15 p.m. killed 3 policemen and seriously injured another, Aayiththiyamalai police said.

A Claymore device hidden in the thickets close to the place where policemen from Aayithiyamalai police station go for bath was activated by unknown men, the police added.