15 killed in second bus bomb
[Saturday, January 06, 2007 - 12.30 GMT]  

A powerful bomb blast in a passenger bus has killed 15 passengers and injured at least 40 persons, including women and children, today. This is second such explosion in two days. Police sources said the explosion was believed to have been caused by suspected LTTE cadres.

Today's  bomb blast took place inside a passenger bus at Godagama in the Meetiyagoda Police Division near the coastal town of Ambalangoda (50 miles approx. from Colombo) around 2.35 p.m. today, on the main A2 highway that links Colombo to the southern city of Matara.

The explosion took place in a regular civilian passenger bus traveling from Colombo to Matara. Police at Ambalangoda said the explosion is believed to have been caused by a suspected woman LTTE cadre, who had been carrying the bomb on her person.

This is the second bomb blast in a passenger bus in two days. An explosion in a bus on the A1 Colombo-Kandy highway near Nittambuwa (25 miles Colombo approx.) which took place last evening (January 05) killed six persons and injured 50.

Military Spokesman Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe described yesterday's bomb as "an act of terror targeting innocent civilians by the LTTE". Preliminary investigations on yesterday's bomb revealed that it weighed two kilos and had been fixed under the seat of the bus.

Investigations into today's explosion are under way. Police and the armed forces have been deployed in the area where the blast took place. All injured persons have been transported to nearby hospitals.

The Military Spokesman called on the public to be extra cautions in view of the LTTE's strategy of targeting civilian targets in their desperation following recent military defeats.

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Last Updated Date: January 06, 2007 - 12.30GMT