Thursday, May 14, 2009

Sri Lanka war zone hospital 'hit'

Tamil Tiger rebel and hospital sources said that Sri Lankan government forces have shelled a hospital inside the conflict zone killing at least 45 people, as reported by BBC on 12 May 2009.

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.


Look at the map of the conflict zone below:

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