Sri Lanka Village Attacked; 5 Killed

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MANNAR, Sri Lanka -- Sri Lankan troops stormed a church where about 200 Tamil civilians were seeking shelter Saturday, shooting and throwing grenades in an assault that killed five people and injured 47, witnesses said.

The military denied the accusations, with the navy spokesman saying the village was actually attacked by Tamil Tiger militants.

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Military spokesman Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe said he could not comment specifically on the church attack in the village of Pesalai, but said Tiger fighters often pose as fishermen, and that the military does not target civilians.

But numerous villagers, now being treated in the nearby government hospital, gave near-identical accounts of security forces storming the northern town and shooting civilians.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/17/AR2006061700254.html