Tabling the details to the House, TNA’s Shivashakthi Anandan said 113 of them were schoolchildren, 'BBC Sandeshaya' reports.

The northern province has more than 1,000 persons with pieces of artillery, mortars, grenades and bullets in their bodies, while information of such people from Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu and Mannar is yet to be received.

Anandan urged the government to take immediate steps for surgery to remove shrapnel from the bodies of these persons.

Hospitals in the north are without facilities to perform the required surgery, and the people do not have the money to pay for private hospitals, said the MP.

No money for surgery
During a tour of investigation by 'BBC Sandeshaya', P. Saritha of Shastrikulam in Vavuniya said that doctors have told her that she had seven mortar pieces embedded near her eye and in her legs and neck.

She has lost her right eye due to the mortar attack.

The hospital in Vavuniya does not have the facilities and doctors have told her to get the mortar pieces removed from a Colombo hospital.

But, Saritha said she had no money for the surgery, as a private hospital had asked for Rs. 50,000 to remove the mortar piece embedded near her eye, and a separate payment for the medicines.

S. Kannan of Kumankulam in Vavuniya said only four out of 11 pieces of artillery shells in his two legs have been removed so far.

He said he was suffering for nine years now, due to the Vavuniya Hospital not having facilities for the required surgery.

These people say they were victims of crossfire between the parties to the war, and said they could not say for certain as to who should be blamed.