suspected suicide bomber detonated explosives at a mosque in southern Sri Lanka on Tuesday, killing several people, a police officer told
COLOMBO : Ten people were killed while at least 35 others including a government minister were injured Tuesday morning in a suicide explosion blamed on Tamil Tiger rebels in southern Sri Lanka, defense officials said.
Officials from the Defense Ministry said an LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eealm) suicide bomber attacked the Jumma mosque at Godapitiya, in Akurassa, in the Matara district at around 10:30 a.m. local time (0500 GMT).
The suicide bomber targeted the Islam devotees attending the national Milad-Un-Nabi celebration, held at the mosque which was attended by several ministers and a large number of civilians, the military said.
The Milad-un-Nabi, the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed is celebrated as a national festival in Sri Lanka.
Military spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara said 10 civilians and the suicide bomber were killed while 35 others including Post and Telecommunication Minister Mahinda Wijesekara were injured in the explosion in Matara, about 160 km south of the capital Colombo.
Wijesekara suffered head injuries and was initially treated in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in the Matara hospital. Then he was air lifted to the capital Colombo.
"The minister was sent to Colombo for treatment. We have 38 people receiving injuries," said Aruna Jayasekera, the director of the Matara hospital. "There were six ministers present, only one of them were injured," Petroleum Minister A. H. M. Fowzie told reporters. "A special medical team has been sent by air to Matara to attend to urgent medical needs," Hector Weerasinghe, the director of the National Hospital said in Colombo.
The Sri Lankan government has strongly condemned the attack, saying it will only strengthen the government's resolve to end terrorism in the country. "The government condemns in the strongest possible terms the LTTE suicide bomb attack. The attack reaffirms the fact that the LTTE is not only a ruthless terrorist outfit but also one which has no regard or respect for religion," said the government in a statement.
The statement said the attack, deliberately targeting the Muslim Community, underscores the hatred the LTTE, has towards the Muslim population of Sri Lanka.
Courtesy: Xinhua
COLOMBO : Ten people were killed while at least 35 others including a government minister were injured Tuesday morning in a suicide explosion blamed on Tamil Tiger rebels in southern Sri Lanka, defense officials said.Officials from the Defense Ministry said an LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eealm) suicide bomber attacked the Jumma mosque at Godapitiya, in Akurassa, in the Matara district at around 10:30 a.m. local time (0500 GMT).
The suicide bomber targeted the Islam devotees attending the national Milad-Un-Nabi celebration, held at the mosque which was attended by several ministers and a large number of civilians, the military said.
The Milad-un-Nabi, the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed is celebrated as a national festival in Sri Lanka.
Military spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara said 10 civilians and the suicide bomber were killed while 35 others including Post and Telecommunication Minister Mahinda Wijesekara were injured in the explosion in Matara, about 160 km south of the capital Colombo.Wijesekara suffered head injuries and was initially treated in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in the Matara hospital. Then he was air lifted to the capital Colombo.
"The minister was sent to Colombo for treatment. We have 38 people receiving injuries," said Aruna Jayasekera, the director of the Matara hospital. "There were six ministers present, only one of them were injured," Petroleum Minister A. H. M. Fowzie told reporters. "A special medical team has been sent by air to Matara to attend to urgent medical needs," Hector Weerasinghe, the director of the National Hospital said in Colombo.
The Sri Lankan government has strongly condemned the attack, saying it will only strengthen the government's resolve to end terrorism in the country. "The government condemns in the strongest possible terms the LTTE suicide bomb attack. The attack reaffirms the fact that the LTTE is not only a ruthless terrorist outfit but also one which has no regard or respect for religion," said the government in a statement.
The statement said the attack, deliberately targeting the Muslim Community, underscores the hatred the LTTE, has towards the Muslim population of Sri Lanka.
Courtesy: Xinhua
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