Leaked US embassy cables confirm what has long been speculated, US and Indian intelligence agencies had access to satellite imagery of the shelling of civilians within so-called No-Fire-Zones during the final stages of Sri Lanka's conflict.

A recently emerged cable confirms that the Sri Lankan president was shown satellite images of new shelling of safe zones, believed to have taken place after the 27th April 2009 - when the president declared an end to the use of heavy weapons.

According to the leaked cable, despite spiralling casualty figures and warnings against the shelling of civilian areas being ignored by the Sri Lankan government, US officials remained hopeful that the Sri Lankan regime would restrain its onslaught and a "possible change [in] the Sri Lankan Army's conduct".

The cable's author, Charge d'Affaires, James Moore, states the satellite images were shared with Sri Lanka "in the hope the shelling would stop."

Extracts reproduced below:

See full cable here.

"On May 4, Charge met with Foreign Minister Bogollagama to discuss reports that Government forces were shelling into the Government-designated "safe zone" even after the President's April 27 declaration of the end of combat operations.

Charge presented two declassified satellite images taken on April 26 and 28 of the civilian "no-fire zone" showing probable artillery impact craters.

Charge informed the President and Foreign Secretary that he had been instructed to share these satellite images with the Sri Lankan government. These "before and after" satellite images dated April 27 through May 3 document apparent shelling damage in the "safe zone" even after the April 27 declaration by President Rajapaksa, he noted.

Charge stated that we were sharing the satellite images in the hope the shelling would stop.

The President remarked at lunch before this meeting that India had satellites and was monitoring the ground situation in Sri Lanka. It will now be equally clear to the Sri Lankan government that we are watching, too.

Rajapaksa has been known to call individual battlefield commanders in the past to ask for frank assessments when he feels out of touch with ground realities. 

While the senior officials we spoke with concerning the satellite images conceded nothing, our effort still could lead to the President conducting his own inquiries and a possible change of the Sri Lankan Army's conduct of the battle in progress.

Below are pictures of Puthukkudiyiruppu (PTK) hospital, one of the targets of Sri Lanka's bombardment of Vanni. Pictures taken on 31 Oct 2008 and 6 March 2009. See full details here.