More Patients Killed in Mortar Shelling on Lankan Hospital
Mortar Attack Kills 35 in Sri Lankan Hospital
At least 35 people have been killed in Sri Lanka’s northern war zone as a mortar struck the only medical facility in the area, informed a doctor.
On Tuesday, an identical attack was made when at least 47 patients were reportedly killed.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) also said that one of its workers along with his mother was killed in Wednesday’s shelling. Nevertheless, the organization did not pinpoint who was behind the attack.
According to ICRC officials, the ongoing fighting between the military and Tamil rebels is extremely heavy and for a second day in a row, the organization could not deliver medical supplies or transport wounded from the conflict area.
Contradicting the government claim, Human Rights Watch says that satellite images, along with witness accounts, show that its armed forces are still using heavy weapons in the densely populated region.
The New York-based group said in a statement late Tuesday, a health official in the area had told them the weapons were being fired from an area under government control.
HRW also said witnesses have described sheltering from artillery attacks and being prevented by the Tamil Tiger rebels from escaping to government-controlled areas.
The group’s Asia director, Brad Adams, said neither the army nor the rebels appear to have any reluctance in using civilians as “cannon fodder.”
The United Nations aid agencies said they have little access to an estimated 50,000 civilians who are trapped in the conflict zone.
