LTTE firing at fleeing civilians

Rafik Jalaldeen

While Security Forces were rescuing trapped civilians from the LTTE human shield, the LTTE cadres were directing fire towards fleeing civilians from the No Fire Zone (NFZ). Over 60 civilians sought protection with troops of the 53 division yesterday morning.

Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said troops engaged in the hostage rescue mission in the NFZ have rescued over 115,000 civilians without casualties. “It is a biggest ever rescue mission conducted by troops.

Furthermore, there were no casualties reported in this humanitarian mission,” he added. He said the LTTE losing its power and territory was now making their last effort to convince the international community and gain sympathy by switching blame on the Security Forces for causing civilian casualties.

The Security Forces are in a humanitarian mission to rescue civilians unlike LTTE cadres taking shelter behind civilians, Brigadier Nanayakkara said.

Denying allegations of civilian casualties due to shelling by troops, he stressed that Tiger cadres were firing towards civilians on the instructions from their ground commanders or when they cannot control fleeing civilians.

He said latest carnage caused by the LTTE was revealed through intercepts of LTTE communication among ground commanders. It was confirmed that Tiger cadres fired at the fleeing civilians.

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Many people came... we couldn’t control... we had to fire - LTTE

The messages passed via the LTTE communication channels early Saturday between one identified as Senduran, an LTTE cadre manning the line, and a ground commander “Priyalan”, shows that civilians were trying to escape the terror grip using maximum effort to flee and the LTTE terrorists in their defence line were struggling to hold them back.

Senduran: “I have captured 20 persons trying to escape, more people are coming, I cannot control them”.

Priyalan: “Try to stop as much as you can till I send reinforcements”.

Few minutes later another conversation between “Senduran” and one identified as “Anburaj”, a senior LTTE Sea Tiger commander, clearly showed that the civilians refused to comply with the LTTE orders.

Senduran: “Give a vehicle to send 20 persons captured”.

Amburaj: “vehicle with “Malaravan Master” has been sent to your place; don’t let any civilian escape”.

In another monitored conversation that took place between one identified as “Thirumalai Master”, a senior LTTE commander, one was shocked to hear the number of civilian casualties caused by “Senduran’s” firing.

In this conversation “Senduran” himself told his superior commander that he had no option other than firing at the civilians to prevent them from escaping.

Thirumalai Master: “how did so many civilians get injured?”

Senduran: “Many people came, we couldn’t control and we had to fire on them.” The monitored conversations clearly reveal the truth behind the fabricated stories of the terror media sympathizers to mislead the international community and tarnish the image of the Security Forces.

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