The writer and military analyst Paul Harris, who worked in Sri Lanka between 1996 ad 2002 as correspondent for Jane’s Intelligence Review and the London Daily Telegraph, spoke to SPUR yesterday with his reaction to current events in Sri Lanka. (Harris was forced to leave Sri Lanka in November 2002 at 24 hours notice after the government of Ranil Wickremesinghe pulled his journalist visa. Harris was critical of the peace process with the LTTE).

Paul Harris congratulated the Sri Lankan President for managing to save the country from being bifurcated by the LTTE separatist outfit.

The latest reports arriving from the Army Task Force 2 indicate that 19 civilians have been killed and 75 others wounded in the cowardly LTTE attack at the civilians seeking refuge with the soldiers in Udayarkattukualam this morning (Feb 10). Among the dead are 2 children, 5 women and 12 males. Another 28 children, 30 women and 17 men have suffered injuries.

The Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process in Sri Lanka regrets the disregard shown for human life in the press release issued by Amnesty International regarding the suicide bombing that took the lives of 28 Sri Lankans.

At least 23 people including 8 civilians were killed and 64 others including 40 civilians reported injured when an LTTE woman suicide bomber blew herself at an IDP rescue centre, North of Visuamadu in Mullaittivu this morning (Feb 9) at around 11.30 a.m.   

The Office of the UN Resident /Humanitarian Coordinator has issued a press release deploring this cowardly suicide attack.  

Click here to see the UN press release.