Sri Lankan air force jets bombed a crowded church at Vavunikulam on 15.08.1997, killed at 14 Eelamatamils, and injuring 15 others. 10 civilians were seriously injured in another attack at Puthuvilankulam two hours later. The Sri Lankan military has routinely attacked Tamil places of worship and other civilian targets, as part of its offensives in the Tamil homelands.

Vavunikulam village is located in the Mullaithivu district. The village takes the name of the large water reservoir in the village. Displaced people from other districts like Yaalppanam and Kilinochchi were living there in temporary shelters experiencing great hardship.

In 1997, the Sri Lankan military was on a military operation from their Omanthai camp, codenamed “Jeyasikkuru”, to take over the A9 route. The bombing and shelling were hitting the Eelamtamils. Eelamtamils had taken refuge in schools, churches and temples.

On 15.08.1997 at 9.00am, the Vavunikulam villagers took refuge in a church in their village as the military went on an onslaught. Two bombs were dropped on this church by Sri Lankan Air Force Kfirs. 9 people were killed. 16 were seriously injured. One died in the hospital later. The Kfirs bombed the same place again at 1.00am. Eight people were injured. One of them died in the hospital later. In total 15 Eelamtamils were killed on that day and more than 20 were injured.

The SLAF Kfir jets are said to have headed directly for the church, bracketing the compound with their bombs, according to a resident. Vavunikulam has been regularly targeted by the SLAF jets over the past few months. Efforts to clear the blocked irrigation system in the area have been hampered by frequent air strikes, and dozens of residents have died in air strikes.

The Sri Lankans have denied bombing the church, but acknowledged that SLAF planes were engaged in bombing sorties Friday morning in the Vanni area. According to them, “Israeli made Kfir fighter jets bombed identified enemy targets in Vanni causing destruction”.

This standard statement has been routinely issued in the past, in response to protests by the Tamil MPs, Sri Lankan civil servants, the Red Cross, Medecins Sans Frontiers, and church leaders all of whom have reported hundred of Tamil civilians being killed in Sri Lankan bombing and shelling in the past few years.

The Sri Lankan government has banned the international press from Tamileelam. The thousands of Eelamtamil´s casualties due to deliberate Sri Lankan bombing and shelling have been covered up by pressurising NGOs active in the area from publicising the attacks.

Ganeshamoorthy’s account of the massacre is as follows, “Around 10 am in the morning, we heard a booming sound behind us. When we turned around we saw that there were two Kfirs in the air. Initially I thought there were crows flying behind the Kfir, however a second later I realized they were actually bombs. I fell into a stream, by which time a bomb fell. People started screaming. As I ran towards the sound, I saw flesh scattered everywhere. It looked like a like a meat shop. The bomb fell on a small Refugee Camp at Vavunikulam Church.

We informed ICRC and they came and took the injured to Mallavi hospital. In the evening they bombed Puthuvilamkulam. ICRC returned to take the injured. 5 or 6 people died. All the bodies were taken on a tractor belonging to Sundarlingam and burnt. 14 people died and 23 people were injured. This bomb had dropped 200 meters from my house. Small people, old people, dogs all died.

These people had been displaced and were already living in hardship when these bombs were dropped.” This was a planned attack. There were so many places that could have been hit – but they targeted the Refugee camps. This is the worst incident that has happened at Vavunikulam, Mullaithivu District.

Available names of victims (name, occupation, age) 1. Seenithamby Vadivelu, Farmer, 51 2. Periyathamby Sinnarasa, Farmer, 67 3. Sinnarasa Puspamala, Student, 20, 4. Valliar Sinnathamby, Worker, 55 5. Santhirasegaram Rajeswary, -, 32 6. Ratnasamy Sivagnanasuntharam, Pensioner, 69 7. Palaniyandi Marimuthu, Student, 18 8. Ratnam Rasakumari, House wife, 24, 9. Kunaratnam Shanmugarasa, Worker, 23 10. Arulanantham Vimalanantham, Own worker, 30 11. Thesingarasa Thangamany, -, 48 12. Thesingarasa Vasanthakumary, Student, 17 13. Nadarasa Pushpamalar, -, 41 14. Nadarasa Kajan, -, 04 15. Annamalar, -, 40, 16. Thurairatnam Parameswary, -, 46 17. Navaratnam Santhy, 21

Rev. Father Maulis has written to the United Nations protesting over the bombing of his church by Sri Lankan Air Force jets . Nine Eelamtamils were killed when the SLAF Kfirs dropped four 250kg bombs onto the church premises which also serves as a refugee camp. Copies of Father Maulis’ letter to the UNHCR were distributed to other international NGOs operating in the Vanni. On 26.09.1996, Sri Lankan Air Force bombed this village again killing four civilians and wounding 12.

Below are some of the attacks carried out by the SLAF on Eelamtamils in 1996 and 97. Whilst these are included either because of the resultant casualties or because of an unusual intensity of the raid, it should be noted that Tamil areas were bombed almost on a daily basis.

21 January 1996
SLAF Puccara bombs refugee camps in Mannar: 5 Eelamtamils killed, 20 seriously injured

2 February 1996
Mattakalappu (Batticaloa) villages strafed repeatedly by flight of 4 SLAF aircraft

24 February 1996
SLAF jets bomb Thampirai(Vanni), killing 2 Eelamtamils , wounding 4.

1 March 1996
SLAF jets attack civilians fleeing army offensive around Koduvamadu, Mattakalappu.

2 March 1996
SLAF jet destroys several houses in Chundikulam.

5 March 1996
SLAF Kfirs bomb Kilinochchi after breaking sound barrier over city, causing panic.

11 March 1996
SLAF aircraft launch large raid on Vellaveli village and surrounding areas.

16 March 1996
SLAF Mi-24 gunships destroy Nachchikkudah village, Mannar: 16 Eelamtamils killed, 64 seriously injured.

17 March 1996
SLAF uses SL Army held Puthur, Avarankal and Atchuveli villages in Yaalppanam for bombing practice.

26 March 1996
Coastal villages of Vadamaratchi are attacked by a SLAF jet: 2 Eelamtamils seriously injured, widespread destruction.

4 April 1996
SLAF Mi-24 gunships fire several salvos of rockets into Watharavathai, Kapputhu and Mandan villages, destroying several houses.

20 April 1996
SLAF Kfir bombs Muhammalai village, killing 7 Eelamtamils and wounding several more.

21 April 1996
SLAF Kfirs and Mi-24 gunships strafe large columns of refugees (fleeing massive SL army attack) heading for Kilaly, Yaalppanam. 15 Eelamtamils are killed and 45 injured.Kilaly is also attacked and several Eelamtamils killed. Coastal areas of Mullaitivu are attacked by SLAF Puccaras: several Eelamtamils injured.

22 April 1996
Several Eelamtamils are killed when SLAF jets and gunships strafe refugee concentrations near Kachchai, Yaalppanam.

24 April 1996
SLAF aircraft attack refugees waiting to cross Kilaly lagoon, causing panic.

25 April 1996
SLAF Mi-24 gunships strafe refugee boats crossing Kilaly lagoon, injuring several Eelamtamils.

SLAF Kfir bombs Muhamalai, Jaffna, killing a child, her mother and her grand-father.

15 May 1996
Mullaitivu villages are bombed by 2 SLAF Kfir jets: 1 Eelamtamil killed and 6 seriously wounded.

16 May 1996
2 SLAF Kfirs attack Maruthankerni and Sempianpattu on the Yaalppanam peninsula, killing 6 Eelamtamils and injuring many others.

17 May 1996
SLAF air raids on Thambirai, Vanni kills 8 Eelamtamils and wounds 16. Crowded market takes several direct hits.

2 SLAF Kfirs attack Nedunkerni, Vanni killing 3 Eelamtamils and wounding 8 others.

19 June 1996
SLAF Kfirs bomb Chundikulam and Poonaithoduvai in Mullaitivu, killing 5 Eelamtamils and injuring 12.

20 June 1996
2 SLAF Kfirs bomb Mayavanur, Kilinochchi killing 3 Eelamtamils and destroying 6 houses.

18 July 1997
SLAF Kfirs repeatedly attack Tamil villages in Mullaitivu.

19 July 1996
SLAF Kfirs launch punitive raids on Tamil villages far from Mullaitivu.

22 July 1996
SLAF Kfirs bomb concentrations of refugees fleeing Sri Lankan shelling of their villages.

24 July 1996
SLAF Kfirs bomb Malavi town, killing 7 Eelamtamils and injuring 20.

27 July 1996
SLAF Kfirs bomb Mankulam destroying several houses.

2 August d* 1996
SLAF planes bomb Kilinochchi town and its outskirts, destroying several houses.

4 August d* 1996
SLAF blitz on Kilinochchi continues, systematically reducing parts of the town to rubble.

5 August d* 1996
SLAF planes bomb Murugandy village, killed 2 Eelamtamils. All residents flee into Vanni jungle.

SLAF masses several aircraft and continuously bombs Kilinochchi town.

7 August d* 1996
Kilinochchi town almost completely leveled by systematic bombing, combined with continuous artillery strikes.

SLAF aircraft attack other Vanni towns and villages, targeting large public building such as schools and temples.

24 September 1996
SLAF gunships strafe refugee column, wounding several civilians.

25 September 1996
SLAF aircraft continue to attack refugee columns at Puthumurippu, Kilinochchi, killing at least 5 Eelamtamils, and wounding 15 others.

SLAF Mi-24s attack Poonaithoduvai, Kilinochchi killing another 5 Eelamtamils and seriously wounding 20 others.

26 September 1996
SLAF Kfirs bomb Vavunikulam town, killing 4 and seriously wounding 12 others. Several houses are flattened.

SLAF Mi-24s strafe Punaithodduvai village, wiping out a family of 4.

27 September
SLAF Kfirs attack Konavil, Kilinochchi killing 4 civilians and wounding 8 others.

2 October 1996
SLAF aircraft attack villages in Mullaitivu and Batticaloa, killing several Eelamtamils.

20 October 1996
SLAF aircraft attack Chundikulam village, killing 3 Eelamtamils and injuring several others. Vehicles moving the wounded are pursued and strafed.

14 November 1996
SLAF Kfirs launch widespread raids on Vanni villages, killing 1 and wounding 6 others.

15 December 1996
SLAF aircraft destroy a school in Pavatkodichenai, Batticaloa, killing 4 EElamtamils.

24 December 1996
SLAF aircraft continue to scatter bombs across rice fields in Batticaloa, rendering fields too dangerous to work.

9 January 1997
SLAF planes attack Tamil villages in Kilinochchi district: 3 people are killed at Visvamadu and 3 others at Chundikulum.

10 January 1997
SLAF dawn raids destroys a Saivaite koyil (temple) at Kandawalai.

12 January 1997
SLAF aircraft slaughter herds cattle and goats in the vicinity of Kilinochchi.

31 January 1997
SLAF jets bomb Udayarkaddu, Mullaitivu, killing 2 Eelamtamils, wounding several others. Herds of cattle are slaughtered.

7 March 1997
SLAF jets bomb Mullaitivu and Manal Aru areas in punitive.

13 March 1997
SLAF Kfirs and Puccaras launch continuous 8 hour air raid on villages in Mullaitivu. Several Eelamtamils are killed, devastation is widespread and thousands become refugees.

17 April 1997
SLAF Kfirs bomb fishing boats, killing 3 Eelamtamils, injuring six others and destroying 20 boats near Nachchikudah.

13 May 1997
SLAF Kfirs bomb Mullaitivu coast, killing six Eelamtamil fishermen and injuring seven.

15 May 1997
Nedunkerni town is devastated by SLAF Kfirs and Mi-24s. The entire population flees.

SLAF jets devastate Puliyankulam and Omanthai. Destruction is widespread and residents flee.

9 June 1997
SLAF Kfirs slaughter 50 cows in a field by a Saivaite koyil (Temple) in Puthukulam, Vanni.

2 July 1997
SLAF Kfirs pound Mankulum, severely wounding 2 Eelamtamil children.

15 July 1997
Hundreds of cattle are slaughtered by SLAF aircraft and SLA shelling.

3 August d* 1997
SLAF launches repeated air attacks on Mullaitivu villages.

6 August d* 1997
SLAF blitz on Mullaitivu continues unabated. Schools, Houses, fishing boats and livestock bear the brunt.

7 August d* 1997
SLAF planes hit schools holding exams in several parts of the Vanni.

12 August d* 1997
Mullaitivu, Thiriyai and Puliyankulum towns are hit by SLAF aircraft, resulting in widespread destruction of homes.

15 August d* 1997
SLAF Kfirs bomb Vavunikulum church, killing 9 Eelamtamils and wounding 15 others.

Kfirs return to hit Puthuvilankulam village, seriously wounding 10 people.