2ND LEAD

13 Tsunami survivors wounded in SLAF air strike in Mullaiththeevu

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 January 2008, 13:53 GMT]
13 civilians, 7 of the victims children below 15-years, were wounded Friday evening when Sri Lanka Air Force fighter jets bombed and fired rockets targeting a tsunami resettled civilian settlement at Uduppukku'lam in A'lampil in Mullaiththeevu at 4:30 p.m. 11 houses have sustained heavy damage in the air attack. The children were playing at Uduppukku'lam playground while adults were gathered at a Kaa'li temple for a Pongkal poojaa.

A 35-year-old mother, S. Sivasakthi, was seriously wounded and was admitted at the Intensive Care Unit of the Mullaiththeevu hospital. Two girls, K. Jesutha, 12, and Mukunthini, 15, were wounded in their heads.

The other wounded civilians were identified as Nixon, 13, brothers V. Rathees, 07 and V. Yathees, 07, V. Jenitha, 08, S. Siventhan, 03, M. Selvam, 48, K. Chandramohan, 29, K. Subramaniam, 57, V. Pakiyarasa, 22, and A. Sarmilatha, 30.

Four bombers attacked the houses four times, releasing 4 bombs on each attack. The bombardment lasted till 5:10 p.m. while the bombers also circled suburbs of Ki'linochchi.

The housing scheme, carried out by the Mullaiththeevu District Secretariat, with 79 houses for families who have lost their houses in 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami, has been targeted by the SLAF fighter jets.