19 civilians killed in Lanka

At least 19 civilians were killed and 75 wounded when Tamil Tiger guerrillas fired at hundreds of civilians fleeing Sri Lanka's war zone, the defence ministry said, reports Sutirtho Patranobis.

The Sri Lankan army (SLA) and the LTTE on Tuesday leveled allegations against each other of killing displaced Tamil civilians in the embattled north-eastern district of Mullaitivu, some 350 km north of Colombo.

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According to the army, LTTE fired at civilians attempting to crossover to government territory, killing 19 of them and injuring another 75 in the Udayarkattukulam area of the district. “Among the dead are two children, five women, and 12 males. Another 28 children, 30 women and 17 men have suffered injuries,” the military claimed.

The Tamil Tigers claimed that 36 civilians were killed and 76 injured in SLA shelling when they were fleeing the “safety zone” declared by the government. This happened in a village called Mathalan in the same district.