Civilians killed and wounded in SLA attacks - LTTE

Puthukkudiyiruppu hospital hit by SLA artillery shelling
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(January 13, Mullaithivu, Sri Lanka Guardian) “Shelling attack by SLA on Thoddiyadi in Visuvamadu in the Mullaithivu District today at 11.00am killed four civilians, a brother and sister under the age of 16 and two more civilians, the political wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said in an official statement.

According to the statement, “fifteen more people were injured in the attack. Among them were three people over the age of 80 and a thirteen year old child.”

“Frequent shelling attacks around the small area in which the IDPs of Vanni are crowded is resulting in heavy casualties on a daily basis. The displaced hospitals in this area are also coming under frequent attacks.”

“The increase in the deadly shelling attacks on the crowded IDP population in Vanni is going on, unknown to the world due to the media blockade by the Sri Lankan Government to carry out its indiscriminate attacks on a scale that should otherwise receive top attention of the world media,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, "artillery fire by SLA hit one of the Puthukkudiyiruppu hospital wards at 10.00am today. There were about 200 inpatients and 700 outpatients at the hospital at that time. Two of the patients at the hospital sustained minor injuries. Following the shell attack the hospital ward hit by the shelling was immediately evacuated", Tamil Tigers said.

"This shelling attack was more widespread and shells also exploded in the nearby settlement of Ananthapuram killing one woman, Vijayaratnam Vathsala aged 38. Four more civilians in the area were injured."

Puthukkudiyiruppu hospital is presently functioning as the main hospital for the Mullaithivu District. Following shelling around and on the main Mullaithivu hospital complex, “Manchcholai”, last month, the hospital displaced to its old building complex in Mullaithivu town. This too was forced to displace following shelling attacks on and near it. The Puthukkudiyiruppu hospital has now become the only remaining large hospital the Mullaithivu district. There have been shell explosions over this hospital too over the last few days. Today’s shelling explosion was directly on one the hospital ward.- Sri Lanka Guardian