However, military sources have suggested that doctors in the zone may be being forced to give statements at gunpoint by rebels. The Sri Lankan military has meanwhile blamed civilian deaths on the Tigers, saying they are using people as human shields.
The UN estimates that about 50,000 civilians are trapped by the conflict, in a three-sq-km strip of land as shown by the map below. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said that he was appalled by the killings and called for an immediate halt to the fighting. Diplomats from the UK, France and Austria said the Security Council should address the crisis, while the US said it was "deeply concerned" by the crisis.
The Tamil Tigers have fought for an independent homeland for Sri Lanka's Tamil minority since 1983. More than 70,000 people have been killed in the war.
