4TH LEAD

SLAF bombs TRO Mullaiththeevu office, civilian settlement, 6 wounded

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 September 2007, 08:53 GMT]
Six civilians were injured and five were rushed to Puthukkudiyiruppu hospital after Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) bombers dropped bombs near Puthukkudiyiruppu town, targeting Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) Mullaiththeevu district office and the civilian settlements in the area around 11:30 a.m. Thursday. The TRO buildings were damaged, and a civilian house was fully destroyed in the attack when the bombs exploded on the air and the ground, 1 km near the town on A-35 highway. The SLAF attack air-crafts flew two bombing raids. Tension prevailed in the town as civilians at the market and other locations were caught in panic.



Meanwhile, Reuters reported Thursday Sri Lanka Military claimed that "Sri Lankan fighter jets bombed a Tamil Tiger weapons store in the rebel-held northeast sending fireballs into the sky".

First attack took place for 20 minutes between 11:15 to 11:35 a.m., and the second attack from 11:40 to 11:55 a.m. 16 bombs were dropped. Some of the bombs exploded on the air (locally known as "air-shots").

Patients at the Puthukkudiyiruppu hospital ran out of the hospital in panic as doors and windows of the building rattled. An average of 420 patients attend the hospital on a daily basis.

More than 15 students fainted as the explosions shook the four schools, Puthukkudiyiruppu Central College, Subramaniam Viththiyaasaalai, Kaiveali Kaneasa Viththiyaalayam, Vea'naavil Murugananda Viththiyaalayam. 3800 students attend the four schools situated within one kilometer distance of the town.

Two girls from Vea'naavil Murugananda Viththiyaalayam, P. Baamathi and M. Garojini, studying at grade 8, were rushed to hospital in fainted state.

A 22-year old mother, Nagendram Gowri, on her way back home after inspecting her 6-months old baby at the hospital, was wounded. The baby is suffering from the explosion shock, medical sources at Puthukkudiyiruppu hospital said.

V. Krishnan, 63, from Thineash Nakar, Kaiveali, and K. Thuraisingham, 65, 7th ward were also rushed to Puthukkudiyiruppu hospital with wounds.

A 65-year-old woman, Daniel Victoria Ranee, from 2nd ward Puthukkudiyiruppu, has sustained serious wounds. Her house was fully destroyed in the bombardment.

A mason worker from Puthukkudiyiruppu, identified as S. Rasalingkam, 42, from 10th ward, was engaged in construction work at the TRO office, also sustained injuries in the attack.

A vehicle belonging to the institution World University Service of Canada (WUSC) Sri Lanka (with registration number WPHM-1461) engaged in vocational training in Mullaiththeevu district, was damaged in the attack. The vehicle was on its way to the Government Agent's office in Mullaiththeevu.