1 killed, 13 injured as LTTE attack bus carrying war refugees
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
New Delhi, Feb 14, IRNA -- Suspected Tamil Tiger rebels lobbed a grenade and opened fire at a bus transporting civilians out of Sri Lanka's war zone on Saturday, killing one woman and wounding 13, the Defense Ministry said.
The rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) attacked the bus at Puliyankulam in the island's north while it headed to the government-held town of Vavuniya, zeenews portal reportd quoting Sri Lankan Defense Ministry.
It said four women and two girls were among those shot by the gunmen in the pre-dawn attack.
The government accuses the LTTE of using some 100,000 Tamil civilians as a human shield after military forces cornered the guerrillas in a narrow strip of jungle in the island's northeast.
However, official figures showed 37,420 people had crossed the front lines this year, with nearly 35,000 making the hazardous journey this month alone to seek shelter with security forces.
The Red Cross says hundreds of non-combatants have already been killed.
The government, which says it is on the brink of crushing the rebels, has resisted international calls to halt its offensive against the Tigers, who have fought since 1972 for the creation of an independent Tamil homeland.
On Thursday, Sri Lanka set up a new safe zone for non-combatants along a 12-kilometer stretch of coastline, effectively scrapping a smaller designated no-fire area.
Sri Lanka has resisted calls for a 'no-fire period', amid claims from relief agencies that a 'humanitarian catastrophe' was unfolding in the island's war zone.
Foreign governments as well as rights groups have asked Tamil Tigers to allow civilians free movement.
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End News / IRNA / News Code 353973
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