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Colombo vows to counter further suicide attacks

V. S. Sambandan

Government urges people to remain calm

— PHOTO: AP

SHATTERING PEACE: The site of the suicide bomb explosion at the army headquarters in Colombo on Tuesday.

COLOMBO: The Sri Lankan Government on Tuesday "vehemently condemned" the assassination attempt on Army Commander Sarath Fonseka on Tuesday afternoon.

"Initial investigations and the modus operandi of the suicide bomber point to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam LTTE," the Government said. It appealed to peoples of all communities to exercise restraint and not to "fall prey to the LTTE ploy of provoking a backlash".

"This suicide attack is yet another demonstration of the LTTE's callous disregard for the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) despite repeated assurances by the SLMM and the Norwegian facilitator that the LTTE would abide by the CFA," it said.

The Government "reassured the nation that it would not hesitate to take all necessary action to counter and prevent such terrorist attack."

The LTTE's "recent hostile attacks" and its "decision to keep away from the second round of peace talks have put the entire peace process and the ceasefire agreement into jeopardy," it said. Reiterating its "complete adherence to the CFA," Colombo said, "the safety of the citizens and the security of the nation would receive its top-most priority."

Security has been stepped up and steps been taken to maintain law and order in all parts of the country, especially in the eastern city of Trincomalee where a public market place came under LTTE attack recently, the Government said.

Co-chairs condemn attack

The international co-chairs of the Sri Lankan peace process condemned the suicide attack. In a statement, the co-chairs, comprising the U.S., the E.U., Norway and Japan, urged the LTTE "to cease all suicide attacks and other forms of violence."

"Hopes of any resumption in the stalled ceasefire talks have completely gone after today's attack," a senior political analyst told The Hindu. The ceasefire talks have been stalled following a standoff between the Government and the LTTE. The first round of the talks were held in February in Geneva.

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