'Safety zone' in smoke, close-quarter fighting is on

The entire safety zone area is in smoke since the early hours of Friday as shelling by the Sri Lanka Army was destroying all the structures within a narrow strip of coastal land which is densely populated with tens of thousands of people. 75% of the population remains under bunkers as close quarter fighting was heard. Hundreds of civilians are being killed and maimed in the carnage caused by the SLA, which attempts to enter the remaining part of the so-called safety zone before the election results are published in India.

People were dying without water and food as gunfire by the SLA was reaching from all the directions, a rescue worker who remains under the bunkers near the hospital told TamilNet. Casualties are uncountable.

Nobody is there to take care of the wounded at the hospital as all the civil activities have come to a standstill.

No civil movement was reported as SLA was using its maximum fire power on densely populated safety-zone which has been under siege for months.

Chronology:

15.05.09 More than 100,000 civilians in safe zone, ICRC sus..

15.05.09 'Safety zone' in smoke, close-quarter fighting is ..

14.05.09 LTTE urges IC to save civilians in the name of hum..

13.05.09 SLA barrage inflicts carnage, makeshift hospital r..

13.05.09 SLA shells hospital again, several killed includin..

12.05.09 US, UK want UN to facilitate 'safe evacuation' of ..

12.05.09 SLA attacks hospital, 47 massacred

11.05.09 SLA continues to inflict carnage

10.05.09 1200 bodies counted, hundreds seriously injured, a..

10.05.09 LTTE urges IC to act in the international way

10.05.09 2,000 civilians feared slaughtered in a single nig..

09.05.09 SLA artillery barrage hits 'safety zone' as ICRC s..

09.05.09 Malnutrition in mothers triggers Jaundice, Hepatit..

08.05.09 SLA steps up carnage on civilians

05.05.09 US responsible, least humanitarian is dropping foo..

05.05.09 TRO: Food shortage in Safe Zone, critical

05.05.09 'Drop food now if the concern is humanitarian': Va..

03.05.09 Colombo builds up for imminent massacre

02.05.09 SLA massacres patients with targeted shelling, 64 ..

01.05.09 SLA steps up attacks, civilian casualties mount am..

29.04.09 300 feared killed, worst spurt of massacre imminen..

29.04.09 Hospital attacked, SLN naval crafts fire artillery..

28.04.09 500 grams rice, 20 grams sugar per person to reach..

28.04.09 SLA fired 5,600 shells within 15 hours: LTTE

28.04.09 IC makes history in experimenting ‘genocide bomb’

28.04.09 Unprecedented carnage unfolds in Vanni

27.04.09 Sri Lanka steps up intense barrage of heavy weapon..

27.04.09 Sri Lanka continues air strikes violating own anno..

26.04.09 Several civilians killed, 200 wounded within 5 hou..

26.04.09 Inaction may cause 10,000 casualties: SOS appeal t..

26.04.09 SLA poised for all-out-carnage

26.04.09 Sri Lankan Defence Secretary rejects ceasefire, ca..

26.04.09 LTTE announces unilateral ceasefire

26.04.09 Colombo steps up air strikes, safe zone targeted 3..

25.04.09 Starvation: Colombo deploys the worst genocidal we..

25.04.09 Sri Lanka intensifies bombardment, 'safe zone' bom..

25.04.09 Another carnage imminent as the two Indian mandari..

24.04.09 165,000 civilians face imminent starvation, LTTE u..

24.04.09 Colombo uses starvation, denial of medicine as wea..

24.04.09 Civilian casualties top 20,000 in Vanni: Leaked UN..

23.04.09 SLN crafts encircle ICRC ship in Vanni

23.04.09 SLA shelling on church kills 14, Caritas-HUDEC Van..

22.04.09 SLA fire hampers ICRC evacuation of seriously woun..

22.04.09 SLA shells Church in Valaignarmadam, Fr. James Pat..

21.04.09 SLA cluster bombs kill doctor, medical staff at Va..

21.04.09 'SLA advances behind human shield, act fast to res..

20.04.09 Nadesan denies reports of human bomb, blames Colom..

20.04.09 Casualties cross 1000 in SLA's attempt to capture ..

20.04.09 SLA fires cluster bombs on 'safety zone'

20.04.09 Chaos and carnage as SLA enters 'safety zone'

19.04.09 SLA launches ground push targeting 'safety zone'

19.04.09 SLA attacks continue to target 'safety zone'

18.04.09 'Starvation poised for worse killings than shellin..

16.04.09 UN and IC signal civilian carnage

16.04.09 Onslaught of civilians continues, more than 57 kil..

16.04.09 SLA, SLAF intensify offensive targeting safety zon..

15.04.09 SLA offensive on civilian zone continues

15.04.09 Unprecedented carnage, SLA turns firepower on civi..

14.04.09 Mass human tragedy possible any moment in 'safety ..

14.04.09 SLA continues offensive at the doorstep of 'safe z..

13.04.09 SLA attacks kill 23 Tamil civilians within 12 hour..

13.04.09 SLA steps up ground offensive targeting 'safety zo..

12.04.09 Plight of babies born and unborn

12.04.09 31 civilians killed in SLA shelling, gunfire in 's..

11.04.09 SLA embarks upon capturing attack on civilians, 30..

11.04.09 SLA buildup poses severe threat to civilian securi..

11.04.09 599 killed, 3350 injured inside 'safety zone' sinc..

11.04.09 69 percent kids malnourished: Vanni health officia..

10.04.09 Stop shelling say Co-chairs, attack continues amid..

09.04.09 Carnage continues in Vanni

08.04.09 SLA attacks kill 129 civilians, 282 wounded in 'sa..

08.04.09 SLA bombs child nutrition centre in safety zone, 2..

07.04.09 Colombo turns firepower onto 'safety zone'

07.04.09 Threat of starvation haunts "Safe Zone" families

06.04.09 Medical official reports on pattern of shelling in..

05.04.09 Mangled bodies, torn limbs litter Safe Zone - medi..

05.04.09 SLA intensifies attacks on Safe Zone, 71 civilians..

04.04.09 Recognize our freedom: Vanni civilian leader

03.04.09 SLA attacks kill 90 civililans within 3 days, 195 ..

03.04.09 Eyewitness reports horrific experiences at makeshi..

02.04.09 SLA fired artillery shells create havoc inside saf..

31.03.09 SLA fires cluster shells, 45 civilians killed, 120..

31.03.09 SLA attacks kill 88 Tamils, including 21 children ..

30.03.09 SLA attacks kill 53 civilians inside 'safety zone'..

29.03.09 'Global order' experiments with body and mind of V..

28.03.09 179 civilians including 76 children killed within ..

26.03.09 SLA attacks kill Mullai DS officials engaged in hu..

26.03.09 SLA attacks hospital, 5 patients killed, 11 wounde..

26.03.09 Carnage continues, 131 civilians including 32 chil..

24.03.09 62 civilians killed, SLA, SLAF step up attacks on ..

24.03.09 SLA attacks kill 128 civilians in 48 hours

22.03.09 42 civilians killed, 80 wounded in Vanni Saturday

21.03.09 SLA shelling kills 102 civilians within 3 days ins..

17.03.09 84 killed, 182 wounded in SLAF attacks, shelling o..

17.03.09 18 civilians reported missing in 'safe-zone' borde..

17.03.09 'Safe zone' under encircling fire, 137 killed in 3..

15.03.09 Makeshift-hospital struggles without medicines

15.03.09 Shelling doesn't spare even babies in wombs

15.03.09 Civilian casualties mount as intense bombing and s..

13.03.09 SLA shelling targets relief supplies and hospital,..

13.03.09 SLA shelling targets humanitarian supplies in 'saf..

12.03.09 SLA shelling kills 82 civilians inside 'safe zone'..

12.03.09 50,000 families affected by floods in 'safe zone'

11.03.09 SLA shelling kills 133 civilians including 49 chil..

10.03.09 Sri Lankan cluster shelling kills 129 civilians wi..

10.03.09 Colombo's shelling carnage of flood-hit civilians,..

09.03.09 Shelling amidst mini-cyclone and lashing rains, th..

07.03.09 Sri Lankan attacks kill 208 civilians within 72 ho..

06.03.09 Doctors warn severe shortage of medicines in Vanni

06.03.09 Acid test for international actors

06.03.09 Only 2.2% of humanitarian supplies reached Vanni i..

05.03.09 Perpetrating civilian starvation is violation of a..

05.03.09 SLA fires cluster shells near hospital, scores wou..

05.03.09 Diarrhea claims 13 lives in Vanni within 14 days

04.03.09 SLA shelling kills more children, carnage in 'safe..

04.03.09 ICRC worker killed in SLA shelling

04.03.09 SLA in killing spree in the 'safety zone', 73 kill..

04.03.09 Shell landed on a civilian saves others

04.03.09 Deputy ZDE of Mullaiththeevu dies of shock from sh..

03.03.09 RDHS confirms 13 hunger deaths, urges officials to..

03.03.09 SLA shells hospital environs, 13 killed including ..

03.03.09 Skin rash breaks among children in Vanni

03.03.09 Vanni IDPs starving due to acute shortage of food

02.03.09 SLA shelling kills 122 within 3 days in Mullaithth..

02.03.09 Hunger claims lives in Vanni

02.03.09 Colombo killed 700 children in 2 months - LTTE Rad..

28.02.09 Newborn babies bereft of milk, humanitarian situat..

27.02.09 Downed SLAF aircraft was engaged in carpet-bombing

24.02.09 Heavy fighting in PTK, civilians trapped in SLA ba..

24.02.09 Children vulnerable to SLA shelling in new 'safe z..

22.02.09 50 Tamil civilians killed, 130 wounded within 48 h..

21.02.09 13 civilians killed, 70 wounded in SLA barrage Fri..

21.02.09 SLA barrages Mullaiththeevu after Tiger air attack..

19.02.09 30 families wiped out in massive attack Wednesday,..

18.02.09 Massive air attack on civilian targets, scores kil..

18.02.09 SLA artillery fire hits new 'safety zone', 108 kil..

16.02.09 260 killed, SLA shells and boxes civilians, preven..

16.02.09 Colombo uses firebombs setting ablaze civilian tar..

14.02.09 75 feared killed in SLA shelling, elders home

13.02.09 Herding people by terror: Intense shelling, dead b..

10.02.09 Relentless shelling expels civilians from 'safety ..

08.02.09 80 killed, 200 wounded, carnage continues inside '..

08.02.09 More than 180 killed in Sri Lankan bombardment wit..

07.02.09 SLAF bombs Ponnampalam hospital, 61 patients kille..

05.02.09 SLA attacks 'safety zone' using short-range mortar..

05.02.09 Hospital attacked, 7 killed, dozens wounded

04.02.09 Deliberate massacre, not 'crossfire' killing Tamil..

02.02.09 SLAF bombers attack Vanni, deploy cluster bombs

02.02.09 Nurse killed in Udaiyaarkaddu hospital, ICRC staff..

02.02.09 More than 5,000 shells fired on 'safety zone', cas..

02.02.09 SLA fires MBRL rockets on IDP camp, several feared..

02.02.09 SLA shells PTK hospital, 9 killed, 15 wounded

01.02.09 Civilian casualties rise, SLA, SLAF attacks contin..

01.02.09 Shelling hits hospital, ICRC shocked

31.01.09 Artillery-fired cluster shells, aerial bombing on ..

31.01.09 SLA shelling continues on 'safety zone', Colombo r..

30.01.09 Only international-sponsored ceasefire can lead to..

29.01.09 Artillery barrage kills 44 civilians, 178 wounded ..

28.01.09 Brutal attack on civilians, assurance to Mukherjee..

28.01.09 46 more civilians killed Tuesday, few wounded surv..

28.01.09 Hospitals, ambulances hit by shelling, hundreds ki..

27.01.09 300,000 civilians face hunger, Colombo, abettors r..

27.01.09 Norway breaks silence, condemns war

27.01.09 Dead bodies decomposed beyond identification - med..

27.01.09 Artillery barrage continues on 'safety zone', no s..

26.01.09 Targeting civilians in safety zone, premeditated w..

26.01.09 'Biased UN official misleads humanity, safely sitt..

26.01.09 More than 1,000 wounded, Mullai RDHS urges IC to s..

26.01.09 TNA seeks IC to stop carnage, urges medical help t..

26.01.09 More than 300 civilians feared killed, people blee..

26.01.09 Does IC know no human dignity of civilians, asks a..

26.01.09 100 civilians feared killed, countless wounded, ar..

25.01.09 SLA shelling kills 22 civilians, wounds 60, target..

24.01.09 12 civilians killed, 87 wounded, SLA continues art..

23.01.09 'Safety zone' shelled again, 5 civilians killed, 8..

23.01.09 Artillery barrage continues, 3 killed, 33 wounded

22.01.09 2 medical staff wounded in artillery barrage on ho..

22.01.09 Military was provided with exact coordinates of ho..

22.01.09 Hospital bombed, 5 killed, 15 wounded

22.01.09 66 civilians killed within 3 days - Mullai RDHS

22.01.09 SLA attacks civilians in 'secure zone', several ki..

21.01.09 IC urged to act on humanitarian grounds to safegua..

20.01.09 Unprecedented civilian carnage in Vanni

18.01.09 Vanni civilians under deadly siege

18.01.09 Artillery barrage kills several civilians, dozens ..

18.01.09 Sri Lankan shelling kills 4 civilians, children am..

17.01.09 Catholic priests appeal to UN to intervene in Vann..

16.01.09 5 civilians killed, 7 injured in Sri Lankan artill..

16.01.09 Jaffna Bishop urges SL President to stop bombardme..

16.01.09 Humanitarian tragedy in Vanni enters deadlier phas..

16.01.09 "Which norms of liberal democracy preclude IC atte..

13.01.09 Doctors call for attack free zones surrounding dis..

13.01.09 Humanitarian tragedy unfolds in Vanni