Army kills 03 and injures 11 with MBRL fire in Werugal and Kadiraweli
September 6th, 2006
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj
Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) armed forces from the Kallaru camp in Seruwila division of Trincomalee district commenced Multi – Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) fire at noon on Tuesday September 6th killing three and injuring eleven Tamil civilians.
Kallaru is the premier army installation in the region with Deputy military commander Maj. Gen Nanda Mallawaratchy being stationed at Kallaru to oversee the Sampoor military campaign.
Troops fired MBRL barrages at 12. 30 pm towards the Trincomalee – Batticaloa border areas.Firing continued for about 40 minutes.
Rocket shells hit the Verugal area in Trincomalee district and Kathiraveli, Paalsenai and Vaaharai areas in Batticaloa district.
The region is full of people displaced from other areas in Trincomalee who fled here in search of refuge due to intense bombardment and artillery attacks.
More than 50,000 displaced persons have sought refuge in Batticaloa district and Verugal.
Two women were killed and seven other displaced civilians injured when shells fell on a makeshift refugee camp in Verugal.The names of affected persons were not known.
One person was killed and four injured when MBRL fire hit another makeshift refigee camp in Kathiraweli in Batticaloa district. Fortunately a team of ICRC Red Cross was nearby and provided prompt assistance.
The ICRC took the injured Internally displaced persons to Vaalaichenai hospital in their vehicle. Of these three critically injured people were taken by ICRC officials to Batticaloa hospital.
One person succumbed to his injuries. His name was Subramaniam Mahendrarajah. The 45 year old man had worked as a lorry driver at Eechilampattru cooperative before displacement.
The injured people receiving treatment at Batticaloa are M. Arulchelvam (38) and S. Inthira (32).
The shelling from Kallaru camp came as a shock because the fighting was expected to subside after Sampoor was retaken by the GOSL.
Yet some more military offensives seem to be on the cards as the Government intends clearing the Verugal – Vaaharai region of tigers in the days to come.
As in the case of Maavilaaru where shelling and bombing continued even after the Liberation Tigers of Tamil eelam (LLTE) had opened the sluice gates GOSL attacks on civilian targets are likely to continue despite Sampoor being retaken.
A major humanitarian tragedy is on the cards if the GOSL continues with its genocidal war against the Tamil people under the pretext of combatting the LTTE.
The JVP has called for the exppulsion of tigers from the Eastern Province.
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