Eighteen civilians including six children were killed in two claymore attacks on two vehicles in Tiger controlled Wanni allegedly carried out by army deep penetration teams on May 23, the Tigers said.

Sixteen civilians were killed when the van they were travelling in was caught in a claymore attack at Murgunadi, just south of Kilinochchi on May 23 afternoon around 2.15 p.m.

The van with the civilians was returning from the Muzhangkaavil Hospital to Kilinochchi on the Akkarayan-Murugandi Road when the explosion took place. Initial reports said that the civilians were on their way to attend the funeral of LTTE military top ranker Balraj when the explosion took place at a location called Barathipuram.

TamilNet said, 16 dead bodies, four males, six females and six children, were brought to Kilinochchi Hospital. Over 20 were feared injured in the blast.

Six hours before the attack on the van, the Tigers said that two civilians who were catching a ride in an ambulance from the Kilinochchi Hospital were killed when it was hit by a claymore attack at Muzhangkaavil, around 8 a.m in the morning.

The ambulance had been returning from Vavuniya after transporting patients.

However, Military Spokesperson Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said that no information has been received in Colombo as yet and the LTTE was totally responsible for incidents that take place in areas under their control.