Over 1,000 Tamil civilians killed in the three years bombing of Jaffna says British Refugee Council
'"Daily life in Jaffna is conditioned by the distant drone of aircraft engines and the run to the bunkers behind almost every house...Over 1,000 civilians have been killed in the three years bombing of Jaffna and almost 1,500 have died from gruesome injuries. Another 1,000 children died needlessly in 1992 because Jaffna hospitals lack basic drugs and medical equipment to save themÂ…
At 8 am on 26 July, out of the blinding blue of Jaffna's skies, two Sri Lankan air craft dropped four bombs behind Thirunelveli Dairy Farm killing Shanmugam, trader, and his four grandchildren. His house was completely destroyed and four others badly damaged. At midday on a second bombing run at Kopay six civilians including three schoolboys died and eight were injured close to the Irupalai Aluminium factory building. A Hindu temple and a young girl sheltering there were smashed to pieces.
There were no warnings, no air-dropped leaflets announcing operations. Why should there be? After all, no one is watching. There will be no international protest or outcry....
...The Sri Lankan airforce lack the technology and advanced intelligence to pinpoint legitimate targets. The LTTE for all their ingenuity lack anti-aircraft defences. When defence sources say two LTTE arms factories were destroyed in another air raid on 30 July in Vaddukkottai, it means Jaffna student Thayaparan Muhunthan, 20, was blown apart and ten others including two-year old Sunthararam badly injured.'' -(British Refugee Council publication Sri Lanka Monitor, July 1993)
