Red Cross decries attacks on civilians in Lanka

Colombo, Apr 9: The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) expressed concern today over a sharp jump in civilian casualties in Sri Lanka's civil war after a week in which attacks on two buses killed 25 passengers.

In a statement, the Red Cross called on all sides in the conflict to respect the rules and principles of international law and refrain from attacking civilians.

The ICRC said it was ''deeply concerned about the worsening situation in the country and especially its effects on civilians''.

''In all circumstances the law prohibits direct attacks against civilians and civilian objects,'' it said.

Last Monday, a claymore mine blasted a civilian bus in the island's restive east, killing 16 people, and in a separate incident on Saturday, a similar mine hit another civilian bus killing nine and injuring two dozen people.

The attacks extended a rash of violence highlighted by near daily clashes between Tamil Tiger rebels and the military in a war that started more than two decades ago and intensified over the past year after some years of peace.

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam are fighting to establish an independent state in the north and east of the country for ethnic minority Tamils.

The war has killed about 68,000 troops, rebels and civilians.

More than 4,000 people have died in the past 15 months alone.

Reuters

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