12 killed, 17 injured in bus explosion in Sri Lanka

COLOMBO, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- At least 12 civilians were killed and 17 were injured when a bus was attacked by Tamil Tiger rebels in Sri Lanka's northeastern Welioya area Monday afternoon, defense officials said.

Officials from the Media Center for National Security said the bus was caught in a claymore mine attack at around 3:40 p.m. (1010GMT).

The bus was plying between Parakramapura to Janakapura in northeastern area of Welioya, some 286 km from Colombo when it was caught in a road side bomb explosion.

Three other explosions blamed on the Liberation Tigers of TamilEelam (LTTE) were also reported in Sri Lanka on Monday shortly after the official celebration of the island's 60th anniversary of independence held under unprecedented security arrangements in Colombo.

A claymore mine targeting an Army tractor exploded at 2.10 p.m. local time (0840 GMT) at Buttala, about 238 km southeast of Colombo, killing one soldier and injuring three others.

Two more soldiers were injured when an anti-personnel mine exploded in the same area as the troops went on a search operation immediately after the blast.

Additional troops had been deployed in the Buttala area since Jan. 16 when the LTTE carried out a bus attack killing 27 passengers.

A small bomb exploded in Moratuwa, some 20 km south of Colombo immediately after the celebration, but no casualties were reported.

The entire capital was placed on a high security alert as LTTE rebels were expected to disrupt the ceremony attended by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse.

Rajapakse in his address to the nation vowed to pursue his current military thrust against the rebels in the Northern Province.

COLOMBO, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse vowed on Monday to continue his present military thrust against Tamil Tiger rebels in the embattled north while offering a political solution to end grievances of the Tamil minority.

Addressing the 60th anniversary of independence, Rajapakse said" we will liberate the north from the clutches of terrorism and also provide a political solution and bring political freedom to the people." Full story

COLOMBO, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- At least 20 civilians were killed and over 50 others injured in a powerful bomb explosion that hit a private bus in Sri Lanka's Central Province early Saturday morning, and the military said Tamil Tiger rebels were behind the blast.

Military Spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara said the bus was plying from Kandy to Anuradhapura when it was caught in the explosion at Dambulla, about 150 km northeast of Colombo around 7 a.m. (0130 GMT).