LTTE charges against Air Force false, says Military spokesman

Military Spokesman Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe yesterday completely denied LTTE charges against the Air Force that the Air Force had aimed at civilian targets in Kilinochchi adding that the target in Kilinochchi was a well identified LTTE target.

"The Air Force had never aimed at civilian targets and the target in Kilinochchi on Thursday was a well identified LTTE target and was two and half kilo metres from the Kilinochchi hospital," the Brigadier added.

The pro-LTTE media said five civilians were killed in the Air Force bombing in Kilinochchi on Thursday and damaged the Kilinochchi hospital.

A senior Air Force official told the Daily News that they had aimed at precise LTTE targets in Kilinochchi and had not taken any civilian target in Kilinochchi as charged by the LTTE.

"The pilots have confirmed that the Kilinochchi hospital was clearly visible to them and the Air Force target was far away from the Kilinochchi hospital," he added.

"We are 100 per cent sure about our target in Kilinochchi," he said adding that the LTTE had never admitted when their military bases were destroyed in Air Force attacks."

The official said the LTTE is now engaged in this false propaganda in a desperate bid to get the international community's sympathy by accusing the Air Force of bombing civilian targets and hospitals.

He said the LTTE always came out with the number of civilians killed in Air Force aerial attacks once the Air Force effectively engaged LTTE military targets.