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Staff at Jaffna Hospital held a memorial ceremony to mark the 28th anniversary of the massacre of over 60 doctors, staff and patients by the Indian Peacekeeping Forces (IPKF) in 1987.
Staff members laid down flowers before photographs of those killed on Wednesday, included three then leading medical specialists, Dr A. Sivapathasuntharam, Dr K. Parimelalahar and Dr K. Ganesharatnan.
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According to eye witness reports, the hospital was shelled on the morning of the 21st of October 1987, before IPKF troops threw grenades and fired indiscriminately at the civilian staff and patients, before storming the hospital building.
The following morning, staff who tried to surrender were fired upon before further IPKF soldiers stormed the building and ordered ten members of staff out of the building. The bodies of all ten were found later the same day.