The Army in Wanni, in the wake of a series of 'shelling' allegations and also media reports to the same effect, some of which had even directly blamed Wanni troops, once again on Monday (26) urged the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to prevent the LTTE from using the demarcated 'Safe Zone' for firing and let trapped civilians freely enter Wanni areas, held by the government. The 'Safe Zone' was declared by the Army on 21st January with the noble motive of salvaging the precious lives of trapped civilians, most of who had no option other than yielding to LTTE diktats and atrocities. As a result many civilians began to trickle into the 'Safe Zone' minutes after the Air Force dropped leaflets requesting the public to move. A few hours after the aerial information mission, panicking terrorists jumped into action and started firing on to those village areas, intending to stall intended civil movement, the Army Headquarters in a statement said.

Several international news agencies as well as pro-LTTE mouthpieces, though fully aware of Wanni ground realities, still continue to paint a gloomy picture, alleging that battling Army troops were intentionally firing towards the 'Safe Zone,' inflicting casualties among civilians. Some of these reports, quoting even unheard medical officers, Wanni provincial authorities and affected civilians with fictitious names assert that the Army had deliberately shelled hospitals and villages inside the 'Safe Zone'.

In fact, the truth is otherwise. Tiger terrorists, now in their death throes having lost almost all of their remaining strongholds and hideouts in Kilinochchi and Mullaittivu districts, are resorting to every possible inhuman and barbaric trick, as their behavior, taking cover behind inside villages in the 'Safe Zone' amply demonstrated in the past three days. Those terrorists, mingling with 'Safe Zone' bound civilians while threatening the public had managed to move their artillery and mortars into villages in this safe area and had reportedly fired the first volley of shots on their own, aiming villages inside the 'Safe Zone' where those affected civilians are taking refuge.

In the meantime, Wanni troops urged the ICRC to convince the LTTE immediately and make them desist from firing further, since the area has been declared safe. Similarly, the LTTE with its sinister moves in mind continued to detain those civilians by force, prompting even the detained UN staff to lodge a strong protest to the LTTE in search of their release.

The Army has never come across any hospital, as stated in some of those reports in Vallipunam village in the 'Safe Zone', nor has the government Health Ministry appointed any Medical Officer for a non-existent health unit as reported. Those reports were totally untrue and misleading to a greater extent since the Army has had no need to fire on the very 'Safe Zone' that the Army itself has proposed and created. Terrorists, as evident in all their endeavours, would now go to any length at any cost to regain their lost image as well as their strongholds at the expense of the lives of the very people whom they claim serving. On the other hand, it was the Army itself with the coordination of the ICRC brought down more than seventy five patients to Vavuniya from Pudkudirippu hospital for further treatment.

Major General Jagath Jayasuriya, Commander, Security Forces Wanni met the ICRC Head of Delegation in Wanni Ms Balerie Tetitpierre and urged the ICRC to prevent the LTTE from using the Safe Zone and allow trapped civilians to move freely into government-held areas.

Courtesy:Reliefweb.int