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Government condemns terrorist attack on civilian bus [Thursday , June 15, 2006- 8.15 GMT]Keeps Co-chairs and international community informed
61 persons, a large number of them youth, and at least three children and several women are reported killed so far in the claymore mine attack, near the town of Kebitigollawa, (270 km /168 miles approx. from Colombo) in the North Central Province, just after 0800 hrs today. 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. 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 injured in the attack on the bus were quickly removed to the Kebitigollawa and Anuradhapura Hospitals. 58 persons died at the site of the bomb attack or after admission to the Kebitigollawa Hospital. Some of those with serious injuries are being airlifted from Anuradhapura to the National Hospital, Colombo. So far at least three of the 45 injured admitted to the Anuradhapura Hospital have died of their injuries. 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. 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. This attack, the worst attack on civilians by the LTTE since the signing of the Ceasefire Agreement in February 2002, took place the day after S. P. Thamilchelvan and other members of the LTTE returned to Sri Lanka after the LTTE scuttled scheduled talks at Oslo last week, to discuss protection to members of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM). These became necessary after the LTTE Sea Tigers attacked a naval escort vessel carrying an SLMM member on board in its failed attempt to attack a ship carrying over 700 unarmed soldiers which was flying the SLMM flag. (PRIU)
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The Government of Sri
Lanka strongly condemned the barbaric and inhuman killing of over 60
innocent civilians at Kebitigollawa, in a claymore mine attack at a
civilian bus carried out by terrorists this morning (June 15). It also
appealed 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. 
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