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A group of LTTE terrorists cold bloodedly assassinated innocent civilians making them victims of their anger for being discovered their well-planned ambush for a VIP target at Rajagiriya Borella junction. The total number of casualties has arisen to 29 deaths, including six police personnel and to 74 injuries. Attired in security forces uniforms, the group of terrorists were setting a claymore mine almost 100 meters away from the security check point in an abandoned garden of a dilapidated house, when they were spotted by a civilian. Meanwhile the Parliament was in session and a debate on the customary monthly extension of the State of Emergency was part of the agenda. Quite clearly, Cabinet Ministers, top defence officials, heads of security forces, Police and even Parliamentarians were targets of the LTTE group. The three policemen who were alerted by the civilian were killed as they were nearing the suspicious group. A jeep of commandos from the Police Special Task Force who moved from a commando post nearby after hearing the gun shots encountered the terrorist group and killed two terrorists. One terrorist laden with an explosive jacket ran along the Castle Street in the direction of the parliament and detonated himself. The explosion of two claymore mines targeted at VIP convoys were exploded. The rebels then fired two Light Anti-tank Weapons (LAW) to divert heavy gun fire they were attracting from near by police and troops. Witnesses said that the terrorists then ran along Castle street shooting around at vehicles and bystanders and went along the rail track to Vanathamulla. Office workers returning from vehicles who were jammed in the traffic and innocent bystanders were victims of the fleeing terrorists' anger. The fleeing six terrorist cadres were then holed up in an apartment building at Serpentine Road and exchanged fire with security forces who surrounded the area. Civilians in the area who showed the troops the tiger hideouts were also shot at. One civilian was shot in the leg. According to security forces the troops refrained from attacking the terrorists who were taking refuge in the Vanathamulla 'C' flat fearing of causing harm to civilians who were trapped inside. However, at dawn when there was light, around 6.00 a.m. five commando teams moved in, made up of four man specialist teams. There were three assault teams, a sniper group and a gas team. Soon after they moved in, a member of the sniper team shot one of the guerillas dead. Moments after, loud explosions were heard. The guerillas who wore suicide jackets exploded themselves. Four commandos were injured, one of them critically. Two flat civilian dwellers were also killed. Commandos found a General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), two Multi Purpose Machine Guns (MPMGs), two Light Anti-tank Weapons (LAWs), two T-56 assault rifles and three 40mm grenades. When they abandoned their ambush at the Castle Street roundabout, the Tigers left behind some of the hardware they smuggled in to the City for their heavy assault. Among them were three Light Anti-tank weapons, two large sized bags (like the ones used to carry cricket gear), two empty shells of LAW and two empty shells of 40 mm grenades. Behind the talks of overt willingness to negotiate, the LTTE once again managed to strike against the government and the people of the country failing miserably in their selfish mission. Meanwhile security has been strengthened in Colombo City and the suburbs. Investigations regarding the attack are in progress.
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