By DPA
Colombo : Nine civilians including two children fleeing a fresh military offensive in north western Sri Lanka were killed in a claymore mine explosion, civilian sources said Saturday.
Fourteen civilians travelling in a van to a safer area were caught in the mine explosion in Seelavathurai, 320 km north of the capital Saturday. Six were injured, civilians leaving the area told reporters.
It was not clear who had set off the mine. Rebels said an army deep-penetration unit carried out the attack – a claim denied by the security forces.
The incident came as security forces launched a fresh offensive in the area in what they called a “humanitarian operation” to liberate civilians living in areas controlled by the rebels.
“We have launched a fresh offensive to rescue about 6,000 to 7,000 civilians living under the control of the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam),” military spokesman Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe said.
There were no details about the progress of the offensive, but civilians in the area said a heavy exchange of artillery fire between rebels and the government forces continued throughout the day. At least one soldier had been killed in the fighting.
Within the day, over 1,000 civilians had moved out of the area to avoid being caught in the crossfire.
Government troops last month completed a major offensive to clear rebel-controlled areas in the eastern province, and were in the process of helping restore civil administration for local elections.
Fighting has escalated in the north and eastern parts of the country during the past 21 months, claiming the lives of more than 5,000 people.