Sri Lanka blast victim

The government appeals to the people to be calm and act with restraint, to defeat the aim of the terrorists to instigate a backlash in other parts of the country.

The Government’s Defence spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said this attack was a brutal and savage terrorist attack and a clear example of LTTE terrorism.

Co-chairs informed

He said the Co-Chairs of the Sri Lanka Peace Process and the international community were being kept advised of this latest act of LTTE terrorism.

This attack on civilians took place the day after S. Thamilchelvan and other LTTE members were flown from the Colombo International Airport to the safety of Kilinochchi in the North by the Government on their return after scuttling talks between the Government and the LTTE at Oslo last week.

Since the LTTE scuttled these talks it has issued several statements through pro-LTTE websites and front organizations in the North of Sri Lanka that it would step up its violence in here.

Analysts say the rebels were awaiting the safe return of their delegates to Kilinochchi to launch such attacks, the government statement said.

Minister of Mass Media and Information, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, told the media today “the government is aware that the aim of the terrorists is to instigate a backlash in order to fulfill their evil designs.”

The Government has urged the people to be calm and support its endeavours to eradicate the menace of terrorism.

Govt. appeal

The Government statement said: “The Government appeals to all civilized people and the international community to take cognizance of such evil designs of terrorists and extend all the assistance and cooperation to the Government at this crucial juncture.”

President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Government expressed unreserved sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims of this brutal attack.

The Military Spokesman Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe said all evidence so far showed a deliberate targeting of a civilian bus by the LTTE, as no armed services personnel traveled in buses on this route.

It is reported the attack was done using a 15 to 20 kg claymore mine. Another mine was found by security services personnel carrying out search operations in the vicinity of the bomb attack.