LTTE fired first, says Kathirveli civilian

VAKARAI: Latest reports quoting civilians fleeing Kathirveli and Vakarai indicate that the death of civilians due to Security Forces shelling had been first instigated by the LTTE after firing artillery from an area close to the IDP camp.

A Reuters report filed yesterday from Colombo quoted a 27-year-old woman who fled uncleared areas that Tigers had fired first from near their camp in the uncleared areas. Soon after, Government shells and rockets rained in on them, the woman had told Reuters.

"First I heard big guns fired from the camp area. I jumped into a bunker. Then the Army returned fire and I heard big explosions in the camp," the woman was quoted as saying in the Reuters report. However, she had declined to reveal her identity.

The civilians fleeing the area had been tightlipped about the incident that shocked the entire Vakarai area on Wednesday due to deaths of 23 civilians in Security Forces retaliatory fire.

The civilians must be aware of their destiny faced by Thayalini, one of the three survivors who revealed the real picture of the Chencholai camp in Mullaitivu after her confession to the Police on the incident while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Kandy.

Thayalini, died under mysterious circumstances as she was suddenly transferred to Vavuniya hospital from the hospital in Kandy following a request made by her family members.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission Acting Spokeswoman Helen Olafsdottir told the Daily News that none of the civilians fleeing uncleared areas in Vakarai had not complained about military installations close to the IDP camp.

"The truce monitors who visited the scene had not seen any sign of military installation close the scene," she added.

She said truce monitors visited the scene a few hours after the incident.

According to military sources the LTTE has the capability of moving their guns within a short period in order to protect their heavy guns from retaliatory fire of the Security Forces.

The Security Forces had shelled the LTTE gun position after a few hours of verification through their mortar locating radars.

Source- Daily News