The CCHA members have been targeted when they arrived in Batticaloa by air on February 27, 2007, he said in an interview with The Island.

Minister Samarasinghe, who had been with the diplomats at the time of the LTTE mortar fire said that among the targeted group were Ambassador Robert Blake, German Ambassador Juergen Weerth, Italian Ambassador Pio Mariani and Ambassadors from the EU, France and Japan as well as Heads of several UN agencies. He said that they were there to look into the humanitarian needs of the people.

Minister Samarasinghe also told The Island that the LTTE had blamed the government for failing to keep the outfit informed of the air movement of foreign dignitaries. He said that claim was ridiculous as the LTTE was aware of the presence of the foreign envoys in the chopper.

Shortly after the mortar attack Defence Secretary Rajapaksa had directed the army to neutralise the LTTE’s heavy guns located in Vavuniya about six kilometers southwest of Batticaloa across the lagoon, Minister Samarasinghe said. He added that Sri Lanka could be proud of having a joint mechanism to provide relief to the civilian population from the very beginning of the war.

"Sri Lanka did everything possible to look after the interests of the civilian population. We never hesitated to provide relief to the war displaced amidst some of the bloodiest fighting in the Eelam war. The international community is fully aware of our efforts", he stressed.

Minister Samarasinghe said the international community had an opportunity to maintain a regular dialogue with the government and the top military leadership through the CCHA during the Eelam war IV.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa appointed the CCHA in response to concerns raised by a section of the international community, particularly Co-chairs of the Sri Lankan peace process, namely the US, EU, Japan and Norway.

The CCHA headed by Minister Samarasinghe throughout the military campaign met every month even at the height of the Vanni war.

Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Minister Basil Rajapaksa and Commissioner General of Essential Services represented the government while the then US Ambassador in Colombo Robert Blake represented the Co-chairs. The CCHA also accommodated Japanese and EU Ambassadors and UN Resident Coordinator, the ICRC and Heads of all UN agencies active in Sri Lanka to make sure they had a forum to raise any humanitarian issue.