Sri Lanka Army (SLA) stepped up artillery fire Wednesday inside the ‘safety zone’ killing 78 civilians. 21 of the victims are children, according to emerging details from various settlements. 23 civilians were killed in artillery barrage in the morning from 5:30 to 9:00 a.m. and 47 in the evening between 5:00 and 9:00 p.m. 182 civilians have sustained injuries. High number of casualties were reported in Pokka’nai and Maaththa’lan within the security zone. An ICRC worker, who was returning to his tarpaulin tent after transporting wounded civilians to ICRC ship was killed in Pokka’nai. A pregnant mother was also among the victims.
6 civilians were killed in Pokka’nai in the morning and 11 sustained injuries in the barrage that lasted from 5:30 a.m. to 6:45 a.m. One of the slain victims was a baby. 19 civilians, including the ICRC worker, were killed in the evening and 69 more were wounded in an indiscriminate artillery barrage.
4 civilians were killed and 9 wounded in Maaththa’lan in the shelling between 5:00 and 9:00 a.m. 19 civilians were killed in the evening and 37 wounded.
10 civilians were killed at Iraddaivaaykkaal in Mu’l’livaaykkaal between 7:00 p.m. and 7:40 p.m. 56 civilians were wounded.
At Ira’naippaalai, outside the safe zone, 13 civilians including 4 children were killed in the morning and 10 more were slain in the evening when 51 were reported wounded.
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