LTTE says Lankan forces killed 2,000 civilians

COLOMBO: The LTTE on Sunday accused Sri Lankan forces of killing over 2,000 civilians in shelling during the last 24 hours in the "safe zone" in
the embattled north, a charge refuted as "propaganda" by the government.

The pro-Tigers website Tamilnet quoted S Pathmanathan, head of the LTTE's international relations, as alleging that Sri Lankan security forces were shelling on the civilians in the safe zones.

"More than 2,000 innocent civilians have been killed in the last 24 hours. The wholesale bombardment by Sri Lankan planes and shelling on a densely populated, non combatant civilian safe zone is state terrorism and a war crime," the website quoted Pathmanathan as saying.

A Sri Lankan military spokesman, however, denied that security forces carried out attacks against civilians and dismissed the rebel claim as propaganda.

Pathmanathan also said that the Tamil people are dismayed that the United Nations and the international community have failed in their obligations to protect the endangered civilians and demanded an "impartial relief effort" by the international community.

"We only ask for an impartial relief effort similar to those extended to other international conflict zones by the UN and the international community in the recent past," he said.