New Delhi: An investigation by British newspaper The Timeshas claimed that more than 20,000 civilians were killed in Sri Lanka military’s operations during the last days of war.
The report says the number of people killed is more than three times the official figure. Confidential documents obtained by The Times reveal that while the death toll was about 7,000 till the middle of May and surged to a thousand deaths a day after that. The casualty figures were given by a Roman Catholic priest, who fled the no-fire zone.
The Times says its investigation, which included aerial photographs, official documents, witness accounts and expert testimony, show more than 20,000 of these civilians were killed, mostly by government forces.
The government claimed that its forces had stopped using heavy weapons on April 27 and observed a "no-fire zone" to shelter civilians. But newspaper cites UN documents and witness accounts showing massive civilian deaths in May - an average of a thousand per day until May 19.
A spokesperson for the Sri Lankan High Commission in London has denied the report.. blaming all civilian deaths on the LTTE.
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