COLOMBO: Struggling to retain their last bit of territory in the north, Tamil Tigers struck back with vengeance today when one of their suicide bombers killed at least 15 people and injured more than 20 others, including a senior minister, outside a mosque in southern Sri Lanka.
Postal services minister Mahinda Wijesekara was battling for his life and was being airlifted to capital Colombo for emergency treatment. Among other prominent leaders injured included former southern province chief minister HG Sirisena.
"Around 10-15 people were killed as the suicide bomber struck the celebrations outside the mosque at Matara. A lot of people were blown to pieces which is making death count difficult," Matara police spokesman Ranjit Gunasekara said.
The bomber appeared to have targeted six ministers and local politicians as they walked in a procession towards a mosque in Akuressa area in Matara to mark Milad-ud-Nabi, the birth anniversary of Prophet Mohammad.
The attack came at a time when the Sri Lankan forces are on the verge of rooting out the LTTE from their last territory in Wanni region after 25 years of ethnic conflict.
The audacious strike showed that the Tigers still retained some capability to launch attacks far from their traditional strongholds in the north and east.
Military spokesman Brig Udaya Nanayakkara said the blast was a suicide bomb attack and carried out by the LTTE.
Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/15-killed-in-suicide-attack-in-Sri-Lanka/articleshow/4248816.cms
Postal services minister Mahinda Wijesekara was battling for his life and was being airlifted to capital Colombo for emergency treatment. Among other prominent leaders injured included former southern province chief minister HG Sirisena.
"Around 10-15 people were killed as the suicide bomber struck the celebrations outside the mosque at Matara. A lot of people were blown to pieces which is making death count difficult," Matara police spokesman Ranjit Gunasekara said.
The bomber appeared to have targeted six ministers and local politicians as they walked in a procession towards a mosque in Akuressa area in Matara to mark Milad-ud-Nabi, the birth anniversary of Prophet Mohammad.
The attack came at a time when the Sri Lankan forces are on the verge of rooting out the LTTE from their last territory in Wanni region after 25 years of ethnic conflict.
The audacious strike showed that the Tigers still retained some capability to launch attacks far from their traditional strongholds in the north and east.
Military spokesman Brig Udaya Nanayakkara said the blast was a suicide bomb attack and carried out by the LTTE.
Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/15-killed-in-suicide-attack-in-Sri-Lanka/articleshow/4248816.cms
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