Tigers massacre over 100 refugees: Lanka

COLOMBO: Tamil Tigers have massacred over 100 civilians fleeing the fighting between the rebels and the security forces in Sri Lanka's northeast, the Defence Ministry claimed on Saturday.

The victims were shot dead as they tried to escape fighting in the Muslim majority town of Muttur in Trincomalee district last night, the ministry alleged in a statement.

"While displaced families were fleeing Muttur seeking safety, the Tigers blocked them at Pachchanoor area and killed over 100, including women, youth and children during the night of Friday," it claimed.

There was no immediate reaction from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) about the allegation.

However, Muslim legislators have earlier charged that the Tigers were holding over 100 Muslim civilians who were trying to escape the fighting in Muttur and had asked the rebels to free them.

The Defence Ministry said the Tigers had targeted the civilians because they had been providing food to the security forces. "These civilians had supported the security forces in providing fish, vegetables and other homegrown products before the conflict began," it said.

"The Tigers believed the youth in and around Muttur were feeding the security forces with information of Tiger movements and deployments," it added.

Military officers in the north-eastern port town of Trincomalee said the civilians had been blocked by the Tigers who allegedly "screened" them for supposed links with security forces and shot them dead.