15 killed as church attacked in Sri Lanka

Twenty others were seriously wounded when shells hit the St Philip Mary's church on the Kayts island near Jaffna town, a report said.

At least 15 people were killed and ca church near Sri Lanka's Jaffna peninsula, a pro-rebel website said on Monday.

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The St Philip Mary's church on the Kayts island near Jaffna town was hit on Sunday, the Tamilnet website said. It said the shells were fired by the Sri Lankan military from its Palaly base.

"At least 15 persons were killed and 20 severely wounded when rockets and artillery shells fired from Palaly military base hit St Philip Mary Church in Allaipiddy, Sunday morning," the Tamilnet said.

It said 37 others wounded elsewhere had also been brought to the main hospital in Jaffna.

There was no immediate comment on the church shelling either from the government or the Tamil Tigers.

However, the defence ministry said the air force was carrying our attacks on LTTE targets as fighting raged in Jaffna on Monday for the fourth straight day.