Staff at Jaffna Hospital held a remembrance event on Friday to mark the 29th anniversary of the massacre of over 60 doctors, staff and patients by Indian Peacekeeping Forces (IPKF) in 1987.
 |
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.
The victims included three leading medical specialists, Dr A. Sivapathasuntharam, Dr K. Parimelalahar and Dr K. Ganesharatnan.