Hospital attacked, SLN naval crafts fire artillery pieces

Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) attack crafts fitted with 100 mm cannon began firing artillery pieces along the shore of Mu'l'li-vaaykkaal Wednesday around 4:00 p.m. Meanwhile, the makeshift hospital in Mu'l'li-vaaykkaal was hit by artillery shells. 9 patients were killed and 15 sustained injuries as many of the remaining patients had to seek shelter elsewhere, according to initial details. The attack comes after the ICRC visited the hospital in the morning and U.K. Foreign Secretary David Miliband and French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner were meeting Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa in Colombo Wednesday. Both the ministers had urged for immediate ceasefire earlier in the day.

Gunboats, with deck mounted machine guns, were also firing along the shore, initial reports further said.

Meanwhile, civil officials reported that more than 150 dead bodies of civilians, killed in close-range gunfire by the SLA, were recovered from Mu'l'li-vaaykkaal north in the morning.

A child killed in the ward of the hospital

The roof of the ward, shells also hit the premises

Patients displaced from the attacked ward

The ward which was attacked, photographed inside

Patients outside the attacked ward

The roof of the ward attacked by the SLA artillery

Wounded patients were wounded again in the attack on hospital

Panic-stricken mothers with children

Patients at the hospital

The ward which was attacked, photographed from outside

Shell exploded on the roof causing injuries to several patients

Shell exploded on the roof causing injuries to several patients

9 patients were killed and 15 wounded as shells hit the ward

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