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More bombing and shelling havoc in Kilinochchi – released 30 October,.!

More bombing and shelling havoc in Kilinochchi – released 30 October

Aerial bombing and artillery fire bythe Sri Lankan Military continued create havoc in the areas surrounding the Kilinochchi town where civilians and other institutions remain without displacing. On 24th October, Uruthirapuram an area 4 kilometers north of Kilinochchi town, came under artillery fire on the following day on 25th the Kilinochchi District hospital part of which continue to function in its A9 road building came under artillery fire. On 28th October, a settlement in Paranthan – Kumarapuram seven Kilometers north of the town came under aerial bombardment just two weeks after a similar bombardment on the same area. On 30th October, Caritas housing scheme 30 kilometer southeast of the town came under aerial attack. Details of these four attacks on civilian area included in this report.

  1. Attack on the Kilonochchi district hospital on 25 October 2008

Part of the Kilinochchi District hospital continues to function in its building on A9 road while others were shifted further north. The district hospital is a new two story building completed in 2006. The first floor of the hospital had to be vacated earlier in September because artillery fire was falling around the hospital and patients were  too fearful. The ground floor continued to be used because of shortage of space available elsewhere and also because the concrete roof of the ground floor gave some protection form artillery fire. The local bus service also continued to operate up to the hospital for the benefit of the patients. Several hundred inpatients were receiving treatment on the 25th . perhaps to force the remaining hospital to also displace the Srilanka military has been aiming its artillery fire close to the hospital. The artillery on 25th damaged the front wall of the hospital and its is not difficult to imagine the panic that would have been created among the patients.

  1. Attacks on Uruthrapuram settlement on 24th October 2008.

Uruthrapuram is about 4 kilometers north of Kilinochchi town. Because of this most of the people in this area did not displace. The Urithrapuram Sivanagar GTM school with an enrollement of 350 students continues to function in its orginal building. Even the people who had displaced form this area return frequently to take back their possessions that they have left behind. On 24th October this settlement came under artillery fire (see map).

A father and his adult son taking their possessions in a tractor – trailer were hit by shell and both died on the spot. They are

Father Name        Chinnaih Ramalingam;

Address                67/2 sivanagar, Uruthrapuram

Age                       68 years

Son’s name          Ramalingam vijayananthan

Address                67/2 Uruthrapuram (teacher at kili/yanarpuram GTM school)

Age                       32 years

Sathananthan son of the deceased father carrying the son of his deceased brother said,

“we displaced from our home in Kilinichchi two weeks ago due to the constant shelling. However , we go back to our home sometimes to bring our remaining possessions. Our father also the president of administrative committee of the temple near our home. On that day all three of us with other members of the committee went and we had loaded a tractor – trailer with some of our things and some of the temple property. My father and brother were following the tractor trailer on a motor bike. We were staying back at our home. My father before leaving warned us to be careful because the shelling was heavy tragically it was they who were killed by the shelling. After the incident we were taken to Tharmapuram where the two bodies were kept. My father’s face was completely crushed. My brother had injuries all over his body. My brother’s child is just two years old.

  1. Aerial bombing near Kumarapuram Hindu Vidhyalam School on 28th October

Six civilians including three students at the Kumarapuram Hindu Vidhyalayam school were injured in the aerial bombing carried out by the Sri Lanka Air force on 28th October 2008 at 10.40am. the location of the bomb site is just 500 meters form a bombing raid that took place on 10 october that killed a school teacher, her daughter and another woman (see map below)

Name of the injured

Students of Kumarapuram Hindu Vidyalayam School injured while at school

  1. Christy , female student aged 16
  2. Kanistan male student aged 15
  3. Thanushan male student aged 12

Others injured

  1. Sukumar Rathy female aged 41
  2. V Kandeepan, male aged 29
  3. A Pathmaseelan male aged 37

Sukumar rathy one of the injured said

“my children were at home because they were fasting and we all have just returned from the temple. When I heard the noise of the bombers I sent my children to the bunker and I was standing outside. The bomb fell next door and suddenly it was full of smoke all around and I could not see anything. Some how . I managed to get into the bunker and my children were hold onto me and were screaming. It was then that realized that my leg was injured. They heart broke. There was nothing left of our home. We do not have even a charge of clothes now.”

  1. Aerial bombing in Vallipunamon 30th Ocotober kills a fourteen year old boy

A forteen year boy was killed and six more civilians were injured when, pm 30th October 2008, around 9.30am, Sri Lanka Ari force carried our aerial bombing in the caritas housing scheme in the vallipunam area in the Mulaithivu Distirct. This location is 30 km form Kilinochchi town. Eight homes in the housing scheme were damaged.

The Caritas housing was created by a Catholic priest with aid form Caritas – Sri Lanka in 2000 to house IDPs who  had displaced formVavuiya. All of the victims of the bombing were from this housing scheme.

The bombing took place very close to the Vallipunam kanista Vidhyalam School while the school was in session. The school was immediately closed and the children were sent home. This school located in the Mullaithivu paranthan mani road, is presently functioning with a sudden increase in enrollement from 1200 to 1900 due to the massive displacement form Kilinochchi. Due to the large increase in the enrollment the school is presently opearing in two sessions with the younger children attending the morning session and the older children the afternoon session that lasts till 5.00pm. displaced students form seven other schools, some from Mullaithivu district and some for Kilinochchi district have recently enrolled this school.

Just 200 meters down the road from this school is the Senthalir Children home that cares for 190 children aged form 0 to 18 . they also attend this same school. Three  shrapnel form the bombs were located inside this children’s Home. One just behind the childrens hostels, one in front of their dining room, and one and near the well used by them. It was sheer luck that no one was injured by these pieces.

Killed

Satheeswaran was studying at the above mentioned school. He was at home because older children’s school session starts at 12.30 pm.

Injured

  1. Srinivasan thimilaasan baby aged three months
  2. Arumugam Maheswary female aged 45
  3. Paramanathan thivethini female aged 18
  4. Nagarathnam Navarubi female aged 32
  5. Pushpakaran Shanthini, female aged 34
  6. Rasenthiran Jesuthasan, male aged 29

 

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