2ND LEAD (Correction)

SLAF MiGs drop 20 bombs in Puthukkudiyiruppu

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 May 2007, 12:51 GMT]
Three MiG-27 fast attack aircrafts belonging to Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) dropped 12 bombs in two sorties one at 7:30 a.m. and another at 11:20 a.m Friday in Kaively Puthukkudiyiruppu area causing damages to civilian residences, sources in Mullaitheevu said. Two MiG-27s dropped eight bombs in the same area at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, according to residents in Kaively. Local residents trained on safety measures escaped injuries by taking refuge inside bunkers during the air-attacks, according to civil society sources in Kaively.

Five houses of town's residents were damaged by the two air attacks, according to local sources.

Two 100kg gravity bombs carried in MiGs underwing pylons fell near the house of a local resident. Suresh and his two children were hiding inside the bunker and escaped unhurt, Suresh told TamilNet.

More than 500 students in nearby Kaively Ganesha Vidiyalayam also scattered and took refuge inside school bunkers at the sound of the aircrafts.

Due the targetting of the Puthukkudiyiruppu area by the SLAF in the last few weeks, many local residents are temporarily relocating to nearby safer places, civil society sources in Mullaitheevu said.