Some excellent paper have been released by ICRC on the Sri Lanka and LTTE offensive.Especially concerning its impact on the practice of war and restriction of humanitarian field.
This also echoes with Wilf questions. Basically it is not Ok to kill civilians in Irak or Afganistan.
Following Sri Lanka and Swat valley offensives, ICRC even went up to call for a new round of Geneva Convention discussions to addapt and extend civilian protection to new forms of war.
All available on ICRC website.