Mullivaikal Hospital bombing
Encyclopedia
Mullivaikal Hospital was a makeshift hospital
located in the Safe Zone
in northern Sri Lanka
. On the morning of 12 May 2009 it was hit by an artillery
mortar
allegedly by the Sri Lankan Army
, killing at least 49 patients and injuring more than 50 others.However, the Sri Lankan Government denies the allegation stating there is no evidence.
accuses the Sri Lankan military of shelling hospitals in the Safe Zone indiscriminately with artillery and attacking them aerially which they believe constitutes a war crime
; they've also said that the hospitals are clearly marked despite the fact that the group has no access to the structures in question. The Red Cross was supposed to have shipped some of the patients out of the Safe Zone the next day according to Tamilnet.
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
located in the Safe Zone
Demilitarized zone
In military terms, a demilitarized zone is an area, usually the frontier or boundary between two or more military powers , where military activity is not permitted, usually by peace treaty, armistice, or other bilateral or multilateral agreement...
in northern Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. On the morning of 12 May 2009 it was hit by an artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
mortar
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
allegedly by the Sri Lankan Army
Sri Lankan Army
The Sri Lanka Army is the oldest and largest of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces and is responsible for land-based military and humanitarian operations. Established as the Ceylon Army in 1949, it was renamed when Sri Lanka became a republic in 1972...
, killing at least 49 patients and injuring more than 50 others.However, the Sri Lankan Government denies the allegation stating there is no evidence.
Background and Incident
Human Rights WatchHuman Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
accuses the Sri Lankan military of shelling hospitals in the Safe Zone indiscriminately with artillery and attacking them aerially which they believe constitutes a war crime
War crime
War crimes are serious violations of the laws applicable in armed conflict giving rise to individual criminal responsibility...
; they've also said that the hospitals are clearly marked despite the fact that the group has no access to the structures in question. The Red Cross was supposed to have shipped some of the patients out of the Safe Zone the next day according to Tamilnet.
See also
- List of massacres in Sri Lanka
- List of attacks attributed to Sri Lankan government forces
- List of attacks attributed to the LTTE