COLOMBO, Jan 10: The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has expressed concern over the “significant” increase” in the number of killings, abductions and assaults in Sri Lanka’s Eastern Province, where Tamil war refugees have been resettled. The accusation comes as the army accused Tamil Tiger rebels on Saturday of shooting civilians fleeing from the northern war zone.

The UNHCR said that people returning on the east had said that they were feeling intimidated, and that they had to face restrictions of various kinds in the places they had been resettled by the government.

“In November alone, the United Nations recorded 24 civilian deaths in Batticaloa district,” the organisation said.

“More that 50 families have come back to Batticaloa due to fear and insecurity. Others are no longer sleeping in their own homes but gather several families in one house at night. UNHCR calls upon the government of Sri Lanka to effectively investigate these security incidents and urges the relevant authorities to provide adequate security to all civilians living in these areas,” the statement said.

The civil war has displaced 262,672 people over the past two years.