Sri Lanka: Women and Children Killed in Hospital attack
(02 Feb 09 - RV) Several artillery barrages struck a hospital in Sri Lanka's war zone
yesterday, slamming into its paediatrics ward and its women's wing, killing and injuring
many patients.
A top government health official in the area said the shells
in at least two of the attacks appeared to have been fired by the Sri Lankan army. The
attacks on the hospital came amid reports of growing casualties among some 300,000
civilians trapped with the rebels inside a tiny patch of jungle and small villages. Meanwhile
the government said yesterday that Diplomats, journalists and aid agencies will be
expelled from the country if they appear to favour the Tamil Tiger rebels.
Over
the weekend, the military said it would move in to free thousands of people trapped
by fighting with Tamil Tiger rebels after a government-declared 48-hour truce, to
allow them leave the area, lapsed. The Bishop of Jaffna, Thomas Savundaranayagam,
says that the 48-hour ceasefire was not successful: