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Sri Lankan Air force continues to target civilian settlements

Civilians who were in the Puthukuduyiruppu Kandasamy temple attending the annual temple festival immediately sought safety. The temple lights were turned off and the mid night poojas was also halted by the temple administration. Fortunately, there was no casualty.

Repeated aerial attacks in this area is causing severe fear among the people who are constantly watching the skies and turning their lamps off for the slightest noise.

It is also worth to pointing out that in a similar aerial attack in Nedunkerni and surrounding villages on 13 August 2007, Ariyaratnam Subajini aged 21 was killed while travelling on the road and an old couple, Sinnakuddi Thiagaraja and Thiagaraja Kanagamma were badly injured. The Katkulam rice mill and Co-operative store were destroyed and 23 houses and a school building were also damaged.

Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission in its weekly assessment report for August 13-19, noted these civilian casualties caused by the 13 August bombing.

The Sri Lanka Defense Ministry refuted the facts in this SLMM report and said as usual, “These were identified targets that we are certain is a motor position of the LTTE and not a civilian location. We don’t just go and bomb any area. We do careful surveillance and then take it out”.

Following the Sri Lankan Defense Ministry’s comment, the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission spokesperson confirmed that facts in their report are accurate and said that the details of this incident were ascertained by reliable sources and the monitors also went directly to the location.

30 August 2007

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