Sri Lanka Rebels: 1,000 Civilians Killed
Sri Lanka's Tamil rebels said Tuesday that 1,000 civilians died in a government raid on their territory that the military says freed thousands of noncombatants from the war zone. The military denied the accusation.
As government forces have pushed the rebels into an ever-shrinking sliver of territory, both sides have accused the other of endangering civilians. Rights groups say the rebels are holding many against their will to use as human shields. But those groups have also accused the government of indiscriminate shelling in the tightly packed region in its bid to end the 25-year war.
It is not possible to obtain independent accounts of the situation because the war zone is restricted to journalists.
The international Red Cross warned that a final offensive "could lead to a dramatic increase in the number of civilian casualties."
Human Rights Watch, which said between 50,000 and 100,000 civilians remained stranded, warned more will die if the government launches a major attack.
"Both sides need to show far greater concern for civilians, or many more civilians will die," said Brad Adams, the New York-based group's Asia director.
On Monday, Sri Lankan soldiers broke through a barrier that the Tamil Tiger rebels had erected to defend their slice of territory. Some 35,000 civilians then poured out of the area and the exodus continued Tuesday. The government said more than 50,000 have fled thus far, and the figure was expected to rise.
But the rebels said in an e-mailed statement that more than 1,000 civilians died in the government's raid and nearly 2,300 were wounded.
"And today a situation of bloodbath is prevailing," the statement said.
Military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara denied the allegation.
The rebels called on the United Nations and the world community to act to rescue the trapped civilians.
The rebels have fought since 1983 for an independent state for Sri Lanka's ethnic minority Tamils. More than 70,000 people have been killed in the years of violence.