Global News, Wounded Sri Lanka Civilians Rescued

Injured civilians in northern Sri Lanka

The UN in Sri Lanka says one of its convoys has evacuated hundreds of civilians wounded in fighting between troops and Tamil Tiger rebels.

The convoy crossed the front line out of the battle zone during a brief pause in the fighting.

A UN spokesman said the injured, including 50 children, were being taken to a hospital in the town of Vavuniya.

The military say they are poised to defeat the rebels, who have been driven from their strongholds in recent weeks.

International agencies say hundreds of civilians have been killed in the fighting and a quarter of a million more are trapped.

Sri Lanka's defence secretary, Gotabaya Rajapakse, told the BBC that the numbers are exaggerated, there are no civilian casualties and aid agencies are panicking.


'Critically wounded'

The United Nations convoy, which was trapped in the town of Puthukkudiyiruppu, succeeded in its second attempt in three days to evacuated the critically wounded civilians.

UN spokesman Gordon Weiss said: "The convoy just crossed the front line [with] hundreds of the civilians wounded by the fighting, including 50 critically wounded children, who are being moved to a Ministry of Health hospital in Vavuniya."

The pro-rebel TamilNet website quoted a rebel spokesman, S Puleedevan, as denying reports in the Sri Lankan media that the rebels had initially prevented the convoy from leaving.

Mr Puleedevan described the reports as "mischievous".

"In fact, we have been repeatedly urging the International Red Cross [ICRC] to facilitate the unhindered transportation of injured civilians who need urgent attention and also for the provision of medical facilities locally," he said.

In the latest fighting, the army says that it has captured a key crossroads in the north.

Military spokesman Brig Udaya Nanayakkara said that troops had taken the Vishwamadu junction on Wednesday afternoon after heavy fighting.

The junction, near the village of Vishwamadu, lies along one of the few major roads remaining in rebel-held territory.

Both Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch (HRW) have expressed concern over the plight of civilians and have blamed both the government and the rebels.

"People displaced by the conflict are experiencing acute shortages of humanitarian aid, especially food, shelter and medical care. There has been no food convoy in the area since 16 January," said Yolanda Foster, Amnesty International's Sri Lanka researcher.

Human Rights Watch said civilians were "scrambling for shelter in an area that is under heavy artillery fire, including many children, wounded, and elderly who need urgent assistance".


'Exaggeration'

On Wednesday Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapakse denied that the fighting had led to a humanitarian crisis in the north.

A Sri Lankan helicopter gunner over Mullaittivu, 27 January
The army says it means to "eradicate" the Tamil rebels

He told the BBC that he had a policy of "zero" civilian casualties and that the ICRC and UN were wrong about the situation in the north.

"I'm not saying they are lying but they are exaggerating," Mr Rajapakse said.

He also ruled out any ceasefire for humanitarian reasons, saying it would give the Tigers a chance to reorganise.

"The purpose of this offensive is to eradicate them."

The military say they are involved in a final push against retreating rebels.

Moving north from the captured rebel town of Mullaitivu, they are trying to secure the north-east coastline to encircle the rebels and say they hope to control the entire north within weeks.

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