21 killed, 60 injured in bus explosion near Sri Lankan capital
6/6/2008 17:59
At least 21 civilians were killed and more than 60 injured in a bus
explosion carried out by suspected Tamil Tigers near the Sri Lankan capital of
Colombo this morning, officials said.
Officials from the Ministry of Defense
said the bomb was targeted a crowded passenger bus in Moratuwa, about 10 km
south of the capital Colombo around 7:30 a.m. (0200 GMT).
Initial
investigation showed that a roadside bomb has been exploded by Liberation Tigers
of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels using a remote controlled device, officials
said.
Among the killed were 13 males and 8 females. The injured have been
rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment.
This was the second explosion
targeting civilians in the capital area this week. At least 18 civilians were
injured on Wednesday when the LTTE exploded a bomb on the railway in
Colombo.
The incidents came as Sri Lanka's security forces intensify its
military campaign against LTTE rebels in the north with the aim of crushing them
before the end of 2008.
The LTTE has been fighting the troops since the
mid-1980s to carve out a separate homeland for the Tamil minority in the north
and east, resulting in the death of more than 70,000 people.
Xinhua
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