LTTE taking cover behind innocent civilians

Govt. briefs Co-Chairs on Kadiraweli incident:

Manjula Fernando and Rajmi Manatunga

COLOMBO: In a bid to clarify its position, the Government yesterday briefed the Co-Chairs on the Kadiraweli attack saying there were strong suspicions that the LTTE could have used displaced civilians as a human shield in this instance.

Addressing reporters at the Information Department, Defence Spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said the LTTE's artillery location was re-affirmed by the Security Forces before the action, adding that they took radar readings on three occasions from 7.15 a.m. at the start of the offensive to 11.50 a.m., the time the first retaliatory attack was launched on the LTTE target.

"The action was to neutralise the continuing LTTE artillery attack meant to drive away the Sinhalese civilians in the neighbouring villages," he said.

The Co-Chairs were brief by the Disaster Management Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe and Director Operations of the Army Brig. Athula Jayawardena. Ministers Rambukwella, Anura Yapa, Chief of Defence Staff Air Marshal Donald Perera, SCOPP Chief Dr. Palitha Kohona and Acting Foreign Secretary Geetha de Silva were also present.

At this meeting, the Government reiterated its commitment to the peace talks. Military spokesman Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe said over 50 per cent of the civilians in Mahindapura, Kallar, Mavil Aru and Seru Nuwara have fled the areas due to LTTE strikes.

The target was two kilometres into the jungles north of Kadiraweli, Rambukwella said adding the Tigers could have forcibly taken the people to this location to use as a shield.

There are about 35,000 displaced people in the uncleared areas on the 20 kilometre stretch from Vakarai to Verugal. He said the Tigers do not allow people to vacate the area, under constant crossfire between the LTTE and Government Forces.

Last night, 224 people have fled the LTTE clutches in Vakarai and reached Batticaloa braving the thick jungles.

The Minister said reports and accusations that Wednesday's target had been the Vigneshwaran school was not confirmed by the SLMM.

"Ambassador Brattskar was also present at the Co-Chairs meeting and neither did he confirm this report."

The Minister said an investigation will be conducted to verify how the civilians got killed in the Security Forces retaliatory attack launched after precise readings taken by the observatory points for over four hours.

"We do not want to justify the civilian casualties but the LTTE must not launch attacks taking cover behind innocent civilians," the Minister added saying as a sovereign state it is compelled to retaliate any LTTE offensive. Rambukwella said the ICRC and SLMM confirmed there were 23 deaths and 125 injured and the figure was on the rise.