M A I N   N E W S

Suicide bomber kills 12

COLOMBO, Jan 5 (PTI) — A woman Tamil rebel detonated explosives strapped to her body near the Sri Lankan Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in the high security area here, killing herself along with 12 others and hours later a pro-LTTE politician was killed by certain gunmen.

Six members, including two women, of the Prime Minister’s security division at Flower’s Road in central Colombo died in the attack which also left 20 persons, mostly passersby and security staff, injured. Six others later succumbed to injuries.

What was believed to be the mutilated head of the woman suicide bomber in her late 20s lay outside the gate of the PMO along with shreds of blue shirt and black trousers which she was apparently wearing.

The suicide bomber triggered the explosion near the PMO though Prime Minister Sirimao Bandaranaike has stopped coming to office for the past three years due to her ill health and is functioning from her residence. This led to the security officials, who survived the blast, to believe that the bomber’s intended target was Deputy Defence Minister Gen Anirudha Ratwatte, who was supposed to pass through the route around that time.

Hardly had the shock of the blast died down, than gunmen shot dead Tamil leader Kumar Ponnambalam in Wellawatte area here while he was driving through Ramakrishna Marg Road in Wallawatte.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the killing.

Meanwhile, President Chandrika Kumaratunga held a high-level meeting to review the security in the capital.

Kumaratunga herself survived a bid on life on December 18 when a suicide bomber triggered explosion, killing 34 persons and injuring the President.

Sources added that the Prime Minister’s security division (PMSI) intercepted the bomber, who could only speak Tamil, when she was nervously pacing up and down in front of the main gate of the PMO.

While the security staff were taking the help of a civilian interpreter, the suicide bomber set herself off, staff members who survived the ordeal told PTI.

DIG of the range Jayalath Jayawardene, who was at the spot, said in all six persons , including four from the PSD and a passerby were killed in the explosion which took place around 9 a.m. (IST).

This was the third explosion to rock Colombo since December 18. Thirtyfour persons were killed and scores others including President Chandrika Kumaratunga injured in two LTTE suicide bomb attacks in election rallies of the ruling People Alliance and the Opposition United National Party (UNP).