MyUSTINET News: Report:Tens Of Thousands Died In Shelling

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, May 29 (UPI) -- Some 20,000 Sri Lankan Tamil civilians died mostly in military shelling in the final push to defeat the Tamil Tigers, The Times of London reported Friday.

SAVE MONEY ON TRAVEL DEALS

The Times said the report was based on confidential United Nations documents and other evidence it had obtained.

The report quoted independent defense experts looking at aerial pictures of the location of military firing positions as saying most of those who died were killed by government shelling.

The report said Sri Lankan authorities had claimed the military stopped using heavy weapons April 27 and about 100,000 Tamils had been sheltered in a no-fire zone. The authorities blamed the rebels hiding among civilians for the civilian casualties.

However, the report said the evidence included witness accounts and expert testimony the Sri Lankan army, while keeping the world media and aid groups away from the battle zone, launched a fierce three-week barrage from late April until its final victory.

The report said the U.N. documents showed nearly 7,000 civilian deaths in the no-fire zone up to the end of April. It quoted U.N. sources as saying the toll then jumped, averaging about 1,000 civilian deaths per day until May 19.

The independent defense experts were quoted as saying the aerial pictures showed it was unlikely the mortar fire from rebels resulted in any significant number of deaths.

Rejecting the allegations, a spokesman at the Sri Lankan embassy in London told The Times: "Civilians have not been killed by government shelling at all. If civilians have been killed, then that is because of the actions of the LTTE (rebels) who were shooting and killing people when they tried to escape."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Related News Topics:

	Print This Story
	Email This Story

BREAKING STORIES

Suicide bombers rock Kandahar

Nepalese soldiers accused of rape, killing

Blasts kill dozens in Lahore, Pakistan

Fonseka suspends fast

Taliban militant rejects death reports

Lahore explosion kills 11 people

Top Taliban leaders confirmed dead

Brown visits British troops in Afghanistan

NATO asks for more Czechs in Afghanistan

Coalition troops asked to be role models

Commander says Marja mostly cleared

Afghan soldiers praised

Romanian president visits Afghanistan

Report: 30 Taliban fighters killed

Pakistani military captures al-Qaida caves

Live coverage of attacks restricted

Two kidnapped Sikhs escape

Marja readying for civilian phase

Afghanistan attacks kill 4 NATO soldiers

NATO-led troops aim for Kandahar