M A I N   N E W S

Four killed in Sri Lanka
Suicide bomber strikes again

COLOMBO, June 14 (UNI, PTI) — An LTTE suicide bomber today struck in Vattala, a Colombo suburb, killing four persons and injuring 15 others, including air force personnel.

The police said the suicide bomber detonated the device on the main Katunayake airport-Colombo road, about 10 km from here, at around 8.30 am, when a bus carrying air force personnel was en route to the city from the airport.

Though the security personnel were the target of the suicide bomber, it was not immediately known if there were any casualties among them, the police added. Two persons were killed on the spot and two others succumbed to their injuries in a hospital. The body of the suicide bomber was blown to smithereens. Eyewitnesses said a coconut vendor was among those killed.

Following the explosion, the police cordoned off the area and traffic on the busy airport road was disrupted.

The blast occurred when the attacker, with explosives strapped around his body, detonated the lethal bombs in front of the bus, the police said.

The suicide bomber, riding on a motorcycle, however, missed the target due to heavy traffic at Vattala.

The attacker is believed to be a member of the dreaded Black LTTE suicide squad.

The bus was carrying injured air force personnel from the Katunayake airport to Colombo.

Meanwhile, a 15-member committee of the ruling Peoples’ Alliance and the opposition United National Party was today set up in Sri Lanka for an "indepth study" of various proposals to devolve power to the country’s north and east provinces.

This was decided at a meeting presided over by President Chandrika Kumaratunga.