Vanni Bombing and shelling victims since November – released 2 December 2008
There were five major bombing and shelling attacks on civilians in Vanni during November 2008 and also one on 1 December. All five attacks caused large number of injuries among children and caused two child deaths. In total there were three civilian deaths in these attacks and a total 26 civilians were injured, including nine children. A claymore attack also took the lives of three civilians including that of a child. Details of these six attacks are described in this report. There were several other injuries and destruction caused by artillery shelling.
Ulavanoor kudiyiruppu bombing on 29 November
At 1.30am on 29 November, as the IDP residents in the Ulavanoor kudiyiruppu, who were just recovering from a disastrous floods, were asleep, when sixteen cluster bombs were dropped on the Ulavanoor settlement. The newly settled IDPs who due to the floods, did not even have bunkers to take cover, ran into the forests through flood water in thick darkness.
A five year old child and another civilian were killed and nineteen more civilians were seriously injured, among them are seven children. Two of the injured have lost their limbs and some suffered head and stomach injuries.
The location of the bomb site is shown below.
A9
A Russian made bomb dropped on 29 November that did not
explode is pictured to the left. Other pieces of the unexploded
bombs are also shown below. Note that the middle picture appears to be a parachute. These bombs are considered to be of the type cluster bomb which contain several smaller bombs inside and cause damage to wide area thus often having disastrous effects on civilian population. For this reason there is currently an international push to ban this type of bomb. Several countries have already announced that they will not use these bombs. Sri Lanka is counted among a few countries that have a stockpile of these bombs and are continuing to use them.
The victims of the bombing grouped together in family groups are as follows:
Sivakumar family
Killed:
Sivakumar Sutharsan, child aged 5 years
Injured:
Sivakumar Sutharsiny, child aged 2 years
Sivakumar Rasakumary, mother aged 27 years
Mother of the child killed, Rasakumary’s words: “Is this why I protected my two little ones without a husband under trees and in schools? My little treasure had not slept because of floods and
only that night he was sleeping well. What can we do if bombs are
dropped at night like this? How can I describe in words the condition my child was lying in? My two year old is also injured. Why did they wreck my family like this?”
Ramasamy family
Killed:
Raman Ramasamy, husband aged 80years
Injured:
Ramasamy –Palanyammah, wife aged 77years (her arm amputated) Rasenthiram family
Injured:
Kasipillai Rasenthiram, grandfather aged 60years
Murugesu Rasenthiram, father aged 39 years (his left leg amputated)
Rasenthiram Rukmanithevi, mother aged 35
Rasenthiram Thavaselvi, child aged 16 years
Rasenthiram Loginy, child aged 7 years
Nallaih family
Injured:
Nallaiah Puspavally, mother aged 28years
Nallaiah Mathiyalagan, child aged 6 years
Nallaiah Jesinthan, child aged 10 years
Nallaiah Sasikumar, child aged 7 years
Ananthan family
Injured:
Ananthan Kamalathevi, mother aged 37years
Ananthan Chithra, child aged 9 years
Ananthan Velavan, child aged 18 years
Others injured:
Thaynatham Pavithiran, male aged 5years
Periyathamby Sankarapillai, male aged 55years
Kannathasan Amaravathy, female aged 40years
Nagan Sunmugam, male aged 55years
Vaddakachchi shelling on 1 December
A six year old girl walking home from school at 12.45pm on 1 December was killed on the spot by artillery shelling of Sri Lanka military.
Killed:
Arulanantham Nirojini, child aged 6 years of No 16,
Hudson Road, Vaddakachchi
Injured:
Sivasampu Vinayagavel, male aged 35 also of Hudson Rd, Vadakachchi
Kumarapuram bombing on 9 November
Aerial bombing on at 12.30 pm on 9 November in Kumarapuram caused widespread damages to civilians. Five civilians including two children were injured. Those injured
Manokaran,Vithuran child aged 2 years
Srikantha,Tharangan child aged 11years
Sivarajah,Gowriambal, female aged 62 years
Sellathurai,Kamalambigai, male aged 65 years
Nagalingam,Sivarasa, male aged 54years
Claymore attack on 3 November
A claymore attack on the vehicle that carries daily newspapers from Vavuniya to Vanni killed three of the occupants including a 12 year old child. The vehicle was returning to Vavuniya around 8.30am on 3 November after delivering the papers that morning when it came under the claymore attack near Puliyankulam. The details of the victims are given below.
Family of Marmenthirarasa
Killed:
Marmenthirarasa Naguleswaran, child aged 12 years
Marmenthirarasa, father aged 50 years
Injured:
Marmenthirarasa Pushpa, mother aged 45
Others
Killed:
Karunaharan, male aged 35
Injured:
Muhunthan, male aged 40
Paranthan shelling on 17 November
Shelling on Paranthan in Kilinochchi on 17 November injured three women. Two of the injured women are sisters. Their names are listed below.
Family of Sanagaralingam Injured:
Sankaralingam Thushyanthiny
female aged 28 years
Sankaralingam Thushyanthaveny
female aged 20 yrs
Others injured:
N.Poomany
female aged 72 years
Murippu shelling on 3 November Shelling on 3 November in Murippu in Mulliavallai by Sri Lankan military in Manalaru injured two brothers grazing their cows. Both brothers lost a leg each to the shelling Family of Nadanasapapathy
Injured
Nadanasapapathy Ilakkunanathan, aged 30 years
Nadanasapapathy Kasinathan aged 36 years.