The church in Mannar was "desecrated", Bishop Rajappu Joseph said. Sri Lankan authorities deny involvement. Reverend Rajappu Joseph accused navy personnel of forcing their way into the Our Lady of Victory Church in Mannar last Friday. The church "had been desecrated by innocent blood being shed by unjust aggressors, the Sri Lanka Navy", he told the Vatican. The government denies the allegations, but eyewitnesses described how the military attacked the church. An international aid worker also confirmed it. Some 200 people had been sheltering in the church when a grenade was thrown in. The government says the church was caught in the middle of an exchange of fire after a major navy-rebel clash at sea.