In all, 13 Tamil civilians were killed in Jaffna islets on Saturday alone, in revenge attacks by Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) personnel enraged by the sinking Thursday of two Dvora gunboats in which 18 colleagues perished.
SLN troopers from the Mandaithivu camp surrounded a civilian house in Allaipiddy in Mandaithivu islet, west of Jaffna, Saturday evening and opened fire, killing 8 civilians, including a four months baby and a four year old boy and their parents.
Three people with serious wounds were rushed to Jaffna hospital after Jaffna district magistrate ordered the Police to provide security to an ambulance from Jaffna hospital, medical sources said.
One of the wounded succumbed to his wounds at Jaffna hospital.
Palachamy Ketheeswaran, 25, his wife, Ketheeswaran Anex Ester, 23, four-years old Ketheeswaran Thanushkanth and the baby at four months, Ketheeswaran Yathursan, were the victims of a family in the massacre.
Abraham Robinson, 28, father of three, Sellathurai Amalathas, 28, father of one, Kanesh Navaratnam, 50, father of four, and Joseph Anthonymuttu, 64, father of five, were the other victims killed on the spot.
Relatives said that SLN troopers had harassed the joint-family and demanded their 2 story building, for military use, a few weeks ago. The request was politely turned down by the family.
Allaipiddy is located on the causeway from Jaffna towards islets of Velani and Kayts through Pannai bridge. After Mandaitivu, past the abandoned alluminum factory, lies the large Sri Lanka Navy garrison, 500 meters from Allaipiddy.
The SLN in Mandaithivu claimed that they were attacked with grenades and opened fire at the attackers. Only four have died according to the SLN. This claim was later denied by the SLN officials in Colombo.
Meanwhile, residents said eight persons, including the baby and the four years old child were massacred by the Sri Lanka Navy troopers. There was no grenade attack, according to them.
Separately, three civilians from the same family were massacred at their home in Puliyankoodal in Kayts by SLN-backed paramilitary gunmen, around 10:30 p.m. Saturday. A tea-shop owner was also found shot dead near Velanai junction.
The victims of this attack were identified as Murugesu Shanmugalingam, 72, his wife, Shanmugalingam Parameswari, 65, and their son S.Kantharoopan, 29. The attackers entered their house late in the night and fired indiscriminately, killing them on the spot.
Shanmugalingam owns a telephone centre close to his house which was also blasted by the attackers, TamilNet reported. A petrol station was attacked.
SLN troopers from the Mandaithivu camp surrounded a civilian house in Allaipiddy in Mandaithivu islet, west of Jaffna, Saturday evening and opened fire, killing 8 civilians, including a four months baby and a four year old boy and their parents.
Three people with serious wounds were rushed to Jaffna hospital after Jaffna district magistrate ordered the Police to provide security to an ambulance from Jaffna hospital, medical sources said.
One of the wounded succumbed to his wounds at Jaffna hospital.
Palachamy Ketheeswaran, 25, his wife, Ketheeswaran Anex Ester, 23, four-years old Ketheeswaran Thanushkanth and the baby at four months, Ketheeswaran Yathursan, were the victims of a family in the massacre.
Abraham Robinson, 28, father of three, Sellathurai Amalathas, 28, father of one, Kanesh Navaratnam, 50, father of four, and Joseph Anthonymuttu, 64, father of five, were the other victims killed on the spot.
Relatives said that SLN troopers had harassed the joint-family and demanded their 2 story building, for military use, a few weeks ago. The request was politely turned down by the family.
Allaipiddy is located on the causeway from Jaffna towards islets of Velani and Kayts through Pannai bridge. After Mandaitivu, past the abandoned alluminum factory, lies the large Sri Lanka Navy garrison, 500 meters from Allaipiddy.
The SLN in Mandaithivu claimed that they were attacked with grenades and opened fire at the attackers. Only four have died according to the SLN. This claim was later denied by the SLN officials in Colombo.
Meanwhile, residents said eight persons, including the baby and the four years old child were massacred by the Sri Lanka Navy troopers. There was no grenade attack, according to them.
Separately, three civilians from the same family were massacred at their home in Puliyankoodal in Kayts by SLN-backed paramilitary gunmen, around 10:30 p.m. Saturday. A tea-shop owner was also found shot dead near Velanai junction.
The victims of this attack were identified as Murugesu Shanmugalingam, 72, his wife, Shanmugalingam Parameswari, 65, and their son S.Kantharoopan, 29. The attackers entered their house late in the night and fired indiscriminately, killing them on the spot.
Shanmugalingam owns a telephone centre close to his house which was also blasted by the attackers, TamilNet reported. A petrol station was attacked.
