Five members of a family were killed when SLAF Kfir jets dropped 16 bombs within 500 meters east of the newly built Kilinochchi General Hospital at Anandapuram on November 2.
A patient at the hospital was also killed and another person was seriously wounded in the attack.
Around 500 patients warded in the hospital, among others mothers with newly born babies in their hands and severely wounded patients from earlier SLAF bombings, were forced to leave the hospital premises.
Explosion shock shattered hospital window-glass and fans fell down while the patients were having lunch in their beds, doctors told TamilNet.
The LTTE accused the government of sending a “message of terror” within days of the end of peace talks in Geneva.
The government of Sri Lanka, which promised to halt the military offensives at the negotiating table, has sent a ‘message of terror’ within 24 hours of LTTE delegation's arrival in Kilinochchi by conducting a ‘gruesome’ aerial attack killing an innocent family and terrorising the patients at the Hospital premises, said LTTE Political Head, Mr. S. P. Tamilselvan.
Hospitals which serve the most humanitarian need and deserve utmost protection from any acts of violence, have now become targets to the government’s campaign of terror, he added.
The bombs hit a house, about 500 meters east of the hospital.
The victims were identified as Murugesu Markandu, 62, his brother Murugesu Shanmugaratnam, 56, and sister Rathinam Sarawathy, 59. Two sons of Mr. Shanmugaratnam, S. Sasi, 20, and S. Krishanth, 18, both studying GCE A/L, were also killed and their house was fully destroyed.
The only family members to survive were the mother, a teacher, and her daughter, both of whom were at school during the attack.
The family of five were buried Friday at Uruthirapuram, in Kilinochchi district. Hundreds of people, including political leaders, religious dignitaries, principals, teachers and students, attended the funeral. Mr. Tamilselvan addressed the mourners at the funeral house.
A heart patient, Mary Theresa Antony, 49, a mother of four, died due to shock related complications caused by the bombings, said Dr. Sathanandan, hospital director. Mrs Antony, of Jeyanthi Nagar in Kilinochchi, had been under treatment at the hospital for three days prior to the attack.
Doctors evacuating the patients from hospital also complained that Colombo had been delaying in extending ICRC protection to the hospital. There was no LTTE military installation near the hospital, the doctors added.
Students at Central College and Technical College located near the hospital were caught in the shock.
Tension prevailed in Kilinochchi town following the aerial attack. One of the 16 bombs did not explode. SLMM officials visited the vacated Hospital following the attack.
"The International Community should have no reservations in condemning this gruesome act," Mr. Tamilselvan said.
The International Community was witness to the government delegation's expressed commitment to ceasing violence and halting all offensives to create and sustain a conducive environment for the peace process, he said.
"This is certainly not the way forward in creating and sustaining the kind of atmosphere for talks," Mr. Tamilselvan said.
The LTTE Political Head further accused the government of not having cooperated with the ICRC in declaring the hospital premises and surrounding areas as a safety zone in accordance with Geneva Conventions.
