Victims in Tiger shelling on villages identified

Eight civilians including an infant girl of eighteen months who fell victim to Tiger terrorist mortar shelling at the Sittandy and Morankottanchchena villages on Thursday night have been identified by the authorities, a media release from the Sri Lanka Army Headquarters said. The Grama Sevaka for the Sittandy areas after a formal complaint made to the Eravur Police station identified the victims killed on the spot and in hospital as a result of Tiger shelling.

Eight civilians died and eighteen were wounded when LTTE mortar fire hit their villages.

The infant girl Prerimban Ranjika (1 1/2) years Ms Manoharan Nilochana (7), Peremban Shashikumar (17), Peremban Wasantha Kumar (18) Ms Parameshwari Danalingam (30), Ms Alahaiya Wijelakshmi (42), Eliyathambi Shinnadorai (55) and Nagamani Thambi Dorai (44), all of Murugan Kovil Road, Sittandy-3 died of injuries caused by terrorists' shelling.

Some of the victims belonged to the same family according to the police. The infant victim was with her farther when the LTTE mortar struck her and her father bringing instant death to both of them. Ms Parameshwari Danalingam after her admission to the hospital died early Friday morning.

The following eight civilians including one five-year-old girl, eleven-year-old boy and a forteen-year-old girl of Sittandy and Morankottanchchena villages are receiving treatment at the Batticaloa hospital and have been identified as Selvam Sachchunandam (35), Raveendran Mallika (5), Ms Kali Appan Thaiwani Pillai (45), Ms Thambikare Praganeshwari (37), Sammuganadan Ganeshlingam (16), Ms Manoharan Kauwmanee (30), Ms Shammuganadan Kalawathi (14) and Niroshan (11), of Morankottanchchena.

Ten more civilians injured in the attack are yet to be identified. Police investigations are under way, the release said.