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Sri Lankan 'shelling kills 378' Sri Lankan 'shelling kills 378'
(about 1 hour later)
At least 378 people have been killed by continuing shelling from the Sri Lankan army in the past 24 hours, a health official has told the BBC.At least 378 people have been killed by continuing shelling from the Sri Lankan army in the past 24 hours, a health official has told the BBC.
The official, working in the northern conflict zone, said 1,122 others had been injured - and more bodies were on beaches and by the sides of roads. The doctor, working in the northern conflict zone, said 1,122 others had been injured - and more bodies were on beaches and by the sides of roads.
But the Sri Lankan military denies it has shelled the "safety zone". The army denies shelling the area, which the government has designated a "safe zone" for civilians.
Tamil Tiger rebels and the military regularly accuse each other of atrocities in the civil conflict. The claims are impossible to verify as reporters are banned from the war zone.
But the claims are impossible to verify because independent reporters are banned from the war zone. But the BBC's Charles Haviland, in Colombo, says a steady stream of information coming from the area suggests that civilians are being killed.
And he says health officials are convinced that the shells are coming from territory held by the Sri Lankan army.
See a map of the conflict region See a map of the conflict region
The pro-rebel Tamilnet website reported that heavy shelling had started late on Saturday and continued into Sunday. The pro-rebel Tamilnet website reported that the army began to fire artillery shells late on Saturday.
The site said as many as 2,000 civilians had been killed, but health officials said they could not confirm the figure. The site said as many as 2,000 civilians had been killed.
The BBC's Charles Haviland, in Colombo, said an official in the war zone confirmed his hospital had taken in 378 bodies so far. Dr V Shanmugarajah, said he could not confirm that figure but said the makeshift hospital he is working in - at a school in east Mullaivaikal in Mullaitivu district - had so far taken in 378 bodies.
He said 106 of those killed were children.
'Propaganda' claims'Propaganda' claims
Earlier, doctors said two hospitals were struggling to cope with the casualties, and that people were hiding in bunkers and many makeshift tents had been burnt. Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said the shells were being fired by Tamil Tiger rebels.
They added that among those killed was a government nursing officer. "The radars detected the LTTE [Tamil Tigers] positioning their mortars south of the safe zone and firing from there," he told Reuters.
But the military denied the allegations. "This morning, the radar detected two occasions of the LTTE firing to the safe zone to blame the military."
Sri Lankan defence spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella told the BBC the accounts were "propaganda" of the Tamil Tigers and that there had been neither shelling nor air attacks on the civilian zone. Sri Lankan defence spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella told the BBC reports of government shelling were "propaganda" of the Tamil Tigers.
"That is a fact," he said. He said there had been neither shelling nor air attacks on the civilian zone.
He said the guerrillas were "holding people to ransom" in their area, and accused the rebels of killing nine civilians who were trying to escape their zone on Saturday.He said the guerrillas were "holding people to ransom" in their area, and accused the rebels of killing nine civilians who were trying to escape their zone on Saturday.
The UN estimates that about 50,000 civilians are trapped by the conflict. Earlier, doctors said two hospitals were struggling to cope with the casualties, and that people were hiding in bunkers and many makeshift tents had been burnt.
They added that a government nursing officer was among those killed.
The UN estimates that about 50,000 civilians are trapped by the conflict in a three-km-sq strip of land.
The Tamil Tigers have fought for an independent homeland for Sri Lanka's Tamil minority since 1983.The Tamil Tigers have fought for an independent homeland for Sri Lanka's Tamil minority since 1983.
More than 70,000 people have been killed in the war.More than 70,000 people have been killed in the war.
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