SLA traps hundreds of civilians in safety zone border

[TamilNet, Sunday, 08 February 2009, 03:05 GMT]
Around 4,000 civilians, fleeing intense shelling by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) have been caught by the SLA that entered a bordering area of Chuthanthirapuram safety zone Friday, according to initial reports. The SLA soldiers opened fire on the civilians, instructing them to walk deeper into SLA controlled territories carrying white flags with them, according to youths who managed to escape.

There were reports of deaths and injuries among civilians. Exact casualty figures were not known.

Civil authorities in SLA controlled areas are yet to provide details on what has happened to the civilians.