The explosion in a passenger bus belonging to the Transport Board killed 26 persons, including a 10-year of child and a Buddhist monk, and injured 40 others including several schoolchildren.

This bomb attack targeting civilians follows the April 4 suicide bomb attack that assassinated a senior minister of the Government, as he was flagging off a marathon, killing 14 and injuring at least 80 persons, which included a large number of athletes and sports personalities.

The LTTE, the internationally condemned terrorist organization, has been facing many setbacks in battle with the Sri Lankan armed forces in recent weeks.

The latest bomb explosion took place in a packed passenger bus that was about to take off from the crowded Piliyandala Bus Stand, a suburban town nearly 20 km away from Colombo, as adults and children were returning home in the Friday evening rush hour around 6.30 pm yesterday. The injury to many children was because of the presence of schoolchildren returning home from tuition classes at that time.

President Rajapaksa, who extended his condolences to the members of the bereaved families and wished speedy recovery to the injured, said the attack clearly showed the terrorists were not ready to abandon violence and destruction even though the Government had repeatedly pledged its commitment to peace.

He noted this was the latest in a series of indiscriminate attacks by the LTTE aimed at civilians and called on the public to be more vigilant to help troops to foil the destructive plans of the terrorists.