More than 1,500 civilians including women, children and the elderly have fled from the LTTE and sought protection with the troops of 58 Division operating in Ampalavanpokkanai South as at 3.30 p.m today, military sources said.

These include 265 men, 288 women, 240 boys and 218 girls who were rescued and taken to safety to avoid LTTE’s artillery shelling from the declared No Fire Zone,yesterday.

The number of civilians who had fled the LTTE area to the safety of government held areas as at last Saturday(14) was over 39,000.

Four civilians were killed due to LTTE’s shell attacks and 13 were reported injured yesterday. The injured were sent for treatment at the General Hospital Vavuniya. According to the rescued civilians, LTTE terrorists have put-up at least 10 combat training camps in Wellamullivaikkal, where hundreds of children and women are forced to follow a 3-day crash armed training secession. All persons over 14 years of age are compelled to undergo this training, and thrown into the battlefront to guard LTTE trenches and bunker positions, they said.

“Terrorists are running a large torture camp in Iranapali”, the civilians also said.

According to a defence officials,there is no information yet of the status of the 15 UN aid workers and family members held hostage since the declaration of the new No Fire Zone in Mullaittivu.

On Saturday (14) a UN aid worker who sustained injuries due to the LTTE’s indiscriminate attacks was rescued by security forces Puthukkudiyirippu.