Twin bombings targeting buses, blamed on Tamil Tigers, killed 23 civilians and injured over 84 others as violence continued to spiral in the country. The first explosion occurred in the Colombo suburb of Moratuwa around 7.40 am when a claymore mine concealed in a garbage dump was set off as a passenger bus passed by, killing 21 and injuring over 64 others.
The second explosion occurred in the central district of Kandy and this time a parcel bomb hidden under the backseat of the bus went off killing two and injuring ever 20 persons.
With fears of a possible backlash against Tamil residents in the area of the first explosion, the police clamped a curfew that was lifted last evening.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa was quick to condemn the bombings and said this brutality showed the efforts of the LTTE to provoke a backlash against Tamil people. He called on the people to remain calm and not give in to deliberate provocations aimed at fanning communal hatred and violence. The Tamil Tigers have been attacking civilian targets outside the north as the government intensified its military operations against the LTTE in their strongholds in the north.
