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LTTE behind bus blast, says Colombo

COLOMBO: At least 24 persons were killed and 70 injured as a massive explosion ripped a public transport bus near a bus stand, 17 km from Colombo, on Friday.

The government blamed the LTTE for the carnage. The explosion was triggered inside the bus packed with passengers. The death toll could rise as many of those admitted to hospitals are stated to be in serious condition. “LTTE terrorists have carried out a cowardly bomb attack targeting innocent civilians who were returning home after office hours at Pliyandala this evening. According to the police sources, the bomb has been exploded inside a Ceylon Transport Board bus parked at Piliyandala, public bus stand,” said the Defence Ministry.

It said the bus was about to leave for Kahapola. In the last attack by a suspected LTTE suicide cadre on April 6 near Colombo, Minister and Chief Whip in Parliament Jeyaraj Fernandopulle died along with 12 civilians. The Minister had gone there to inaugurate a road marathon organised in the Weliweriaya town around 7.30 am.

Sri Lanka’s Army on Friday claimed to have “liberated” the sacred Madu shrine by “beating off” the LTTE cadres even as the air force said it destroyed “a key LTTE base” in the Iranmadhu jungle in Kilinochchi. According to a Defence Ministry statement, troops of the 8 Sri Lanka Light Infantry reached the shrine as the Tiger cadres beat a retreat. However, the pro-LTTE TamilNet quoting unnamed sources in Wanni claimed that the Army had been stationed 1.5 km from the shrine for weeks and it could have entered it “at any time as LTTE defensive units were strictly kept away from the peace zone.”

The Madu shrine zone has been the theatre of battle between the forces and the Tigers for several weeks now. The Bishop of Mannar had, on April 3, instructed the remaining priests to flee the premises with the statue of Our Lady. All civilians had vacated the area, inside LTTE-controlled territory, before the priests left the shrine. The Government had accused the priests of acting under LTTE pressure.

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