UN: large-scale killing of civilians in Sri Lanka a 'bloodbath'

Colombo: The United Nations says the killing of hundreds of ethnic Tamil civilians in northern Sri Lanka over the weekend was a "bloodbath."

Health officials in the war zone say at least 378 civilians were killed in an artillery barrage in rebel territory that ended Sunday morning. The rebels and the government blame each other for the attack.

UN spokesman Gordon Weiss said Monday the international organization had long warned of a potential bloodbath in the war zone and said "that bloodbath has become a reality."

A rebel-linked website blamed the hours-long attack on the government, while the military accused the beleaguered Tamil Tigers of briefly shelling their own territory to gain international sympathy and force a cease-fire.