2ND LEAD

12 bodies of civilians recovered from Muttur east

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 26 April 2006, 03:20 GMT]
Initial reports from Muttur east in Trincomalee district Wednesday morning said at least twelve bodies of Tamil civilians including men, women and children killed in Tuesday evening air strike by Kfir jets, and artillery attack by Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) and Sri Lanka Army (SLA) were recovered from Muttur east area. More casualties are expected from Tuesday attack by government troops, a NGO source in the affected area said.

Five bodies have been identified as belonging to K. Meiyan and his two year old son Meiyan Kishanthan, Ms Nagiah Rukmani, Ms Pathiniyan Nagamma and Ms Veerapathiran Pagawathipillai. All were from Sampoor, Muttur east, according to civil sources.

The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) launched air strike on several villages in the LTTE held Muttur east village Tuesday evening following the bomb attack on Lt.General Sarath Fonseka, Commander of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Colombo.

Three-pronged attack launched by the SLA, SLAF and Sri Lanka Navy on Muttur east villages commenced around 5.30 evening Tuesday ceased around 10 p.m. in the night. But the attack resumed around midnight Tuesday for about an hour, civil sources said.

Groups of people searching for causalities in the Tuesday attacks said at least twelve bodies of Tamil civilians were recovered so far. The death toll is expected to increase.

Large number of injured is seeking treatment in Sampoor government hospital where acute shortage medical facilities prevail, sources said.