Sri Lankan president, Maithripala Sirisena today appointed the Air Commodore responsible for operations in Kilinocchi during the end of the armed conflict in 2009 as the country's new Air Force Commander.
The previous Air Marshall, Sumangala Dias, was assigned to the 57 Division and coordinated air operations over the Vanni from December 2008 during which time a number of targetted attacks on hospitals, government designated no-fire zones and civilian areas are well documented.
The UN's OISL report noted “Between 8 and 12 May the facility was shelled on several occasions as the NFZ3 came under intense daily bombardment by SLA artillery, the air force and the navy.”
A leaked US embassy cable noted: "The Embassy has credible information that the Sri Lankan Air Force conducted an air strike south of the civilian safe zone yesterday afternoon, May 10."
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Red arrows indicate craters from possible artillery or air fire from May 6th (left) and May 10th (right).
Read more here: 10 years today - A massacre in Mullivaikkal