5TH LEAD

SLAF bombs refugee camp in 'secure zone' in Vanni, children among victims

[TamilNet, Saturday, 29 November 2008, 08:59 GMT]
Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Kfir bombers attacked a refugee camp of Internally Displaced People bordering Piramanthanaa'ru and Uzhavaoor (Tharmapuram) in Ki'linochchi district in the early hours of Saturday around 1:35 a.m. Medical authorities at Tharmapuram said three persons were killed. Two, a 5-year-old child and an 80-year-old man, died at the hospital. At least 18 wounded civilians, including 7 children and 7 females, were admitted at the hospital following the indiscriminate bombardment on IDP settlement. Medical authorities described the bombardment as "terrible mid-night aerial attack on refugee camp". SLAF bombs refugee camp in Vanni, children among killed, wounded



IDPs who were living in the bombed camp blamed the Sri Lankan government for targeting a refugee camp which was located within the 'secure zone' unilaterally announced by it a few weeks ago. "We had some hope that the Sri Lankan government would not bomb refugee camps within the perimeter of secure zone announced by it," a mother told TamilNet correspondent who visited the site Saturday noon.

The 5-year-old child killed was identified as Sutharsan Sivakumar and the elderly male was identified as Raman Ramasamy. Another person, killed on the spot, was yet to be identified. There could be further dead bodies. Rescue operation was still going on, the sources further said.

The wounded were:

1. 5-year-old girl Thayananthan Pavithra
2. 7-year-old girl Rasenthiran Logini
3. 9-year-old girl Aananthan Chithra
4. 10-year-old girl Rasendran Jasintha
5. 10-year-old male Nalliyah Jasinthan
6. 15-year-old male Selvam
7. 16-year-old girl Rasenthran Thavachelvi
8. 18-year-old male Ananthan Velavan
9. 27-year-old female Sivakumar Rajakumary
10. 28-year-old male Rasenthiran
11. 28-year-old female Nalliyah Pusspavalli
12. 33-year-old male Rajendran
13. 35-year-old female Murugesu Rugunudevi
14. 38-year-old female Ananthan Kamaladevi
15. 40-year-old female Kannathas Amirthavalli
16. 55-year-old male Sangarapillai
17. 55-year-old male Nagarajah
18. 75-year-old female Pallaniammah

Chronology: