Sixty-eight people died on Thursday last week after a landmine, allegedly planted by the Liberation Tigers, ripped through a Ceylon Transport Board bus packed with passengers at Kongollewa, in Kebithigollewa.
The Sri Lankan government retaliated by launching air strikes on locations in the East and around Kilinochchi. The Liberation Tigers denied any involvement in the attack, calling it “senseless violence used for political ends”.
Fear of other attacks have prompted many residents from the Sinhala border villages of Kebithigollewa to flee their villages and take shelter in public buildings and in relatives’ and friends’ houses near Kebithigollewa town.
Two claymore mines were used in the attack on the bus carrying 150 passengers, police said. The powerful explosions reportedly flung the bus about 20 metres away from the spot where it was hit by the landmines, police and military officials said. The AP news agency quoted the Military Spokesman as saying the blast was believed to have been caused by a pair of land mines hanging from a tree, and detonated from a remote position.
Press reports said there were 15 children, two women and a Buddhist monk among the dead. A Sri Lanka Army soldier and a homeguard were also among the victims. Around 70 wounded were rushed to Anuradhapura hospital and 9 people, including 2 children and 3 women, were transferred to Colombo hospital.
The Sri Lankan government strongly condemned the Kebithigollewa attack as “barbaric and inhuman” and launched two days of airstrikes on LTTE-held areas in Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Vanni.
But President Mahinda Rajapakse who flew to Kebithigollewa received an unpleasant reception from enraged residents.
“Where is protection for us?” “Where is your peace with dignity?” “Why did you come to see the dead bodies?” “Don’t come this way again” and “We need security” were the words that welcomed him.
Rajapakse however continued to the Kebithigollewa Hospital and once inside, on his way to mortuary people in the corridors started to shout, demanding security.
On his way back from the mortuary, a few grieving relatives made their way to the President and said, “Mr. President, we voted for you and is this the gift you have to offer us? Why did you do this to us? We are respectable people, why have you done this to us?”
In response, President Mahinda Rajapaksa blamed the LTTE.
“The Tigers have done it again, this time it is children and innocent people. What would they expect from such attacks”, the President asked.
He said he instructed security forces in the area to take every action to provide security to the people. However he said the peace process would go ahead as usual, but urged the international community to pay more attention to such incidents as this.
“The LTTE has murdered small children and innocent people, I hope the international community will pay more attention to such barbaric incidents. At the same time the Government is still committed to a negotiated settlement”, he said.
Media Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa said the government strongly condemned the attack carried out by terrorists with the aim of instigating a backlash to fulfil their evil designs. “The Government urges the people to be calm and support its endeavour to eradicate the menace of terrorism,” he said.
However, the LTTE denied responsibility for the attack. The claymore attack on Sinhala civilians in Kebitigollawe was “senseless violence used for political ends,” the Liberation Tigers condemning the attack said in press release issued from Kilinochchi.
Armed acts targeting civilians “cannot be justified under any circumstances,” the LTTE press release said and charged Sri Lankan armed elements who have intensified their attacks on Tamil civilians for political ends, have also begun targeting Sinhala civilians with the aim of blaming the Tigers. The LTTE has urged the International media “not to fall prey for the reprehensible propaganda tactic.”
Peacebroker Norway vehemently condemned the attack. “This is the most horrific act that has been (carried out) in a long time in Sri Lanka and it must be utterly condemned,” top facilitator Erik Solheim, who is also Norway’s development aid minister, told AFP.
The United States also condemned the attack, noting: “This vicious attack bears all the hallmarks of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. It is a clear violation of the Ceasefire Agreement that the Tamil Tigers claim to uphold.”
The Swiss and Japanese governments also condemned the attack.
The Swiss said they “very strongly” condemn the attack and expressed Switzerland’s “condolences to the Sri Lankan population and authorities”.
On behalf of the government of Japan, Ambassador Akio Suda expressed his “strongest condemnation of the terrorist claymore attack,” adding: “Such dastardly terrorist attacks particularly targeting innocent common people are never accepted by any community in this country or the international community.”
From the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI has expressed his condolences to the families of those who died and were injured in the attack.
The Sri Lanka government retaliated with air strikes and artillery fire on LTTE-controlled areas. Kfir jets of the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) began bombing LTTE controlled Mullaithivu and its suburbs soon after the bus blast. A tsunami-resettlement village, Selvapuram, near Vattuvahal Bridge, was struck.
At least twelve bombs were also dropped on Kilinochchi suburbs from SLAF Kfir jets, which released the bombs from high altitudes. A further 10 bombs were dropped in the area surrounding Kilinochchi town on Friday, the day after the bus attack.
In Batticaloa SLAF Kfirs also bombed LTTE controlled Tharavai and Pulipaynthakal areas. Mortar shells were fired towards LTTE controlled territory in Batticaloa from Vavunathivu SLA camp, he added.
Sampoor and Muttur East areas in LTTE controlled Trincomalee were attacked with multi-barrel artillery fire. Several houses belong to Tamil civilians in Sampoor, Kaddaiparichchan, Koonitivu, Soodaikuda and Ilankanthai were destroyed in the artillery fire carried out from a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camp located at Monkey Bridge, south of Trincomalee. Three civilians were wounded and at least 10 civilian houses were damaged in the multi-barrel artillery attack.
Meanwhile, the LTTE claimed that the air strickes were a ceasefire violation and that the Sri Lankan Monitoring Mission (SLMM) had agreed with this position.
Amnesty International expressed concern over the retaliatory government air strikes.
While condemning the Kebithigollewa incident, Amnesty said the air strikes on could cause disproportionate loss of civilian life and in the process violates international humanitarian laws.
“Increasing numbers of civilians are being caught up in escalating violence sweeping the island. AI fears that a long-simmering, low-intensity conflict now threatens to explode, further exacerbating the human rights crisis in Sri Lanka,” AI added.
The Sri Lankan government retaliated by launching air strikes on locations in the East and around Kilinochchi. The Liberation Tigers denied any involvement in the attack, calling it “senseless violence used for political ends”.
Fear of other attacks have prompted many residents from the Sinhala border villages of Kebithigollewa to flee their villages and take shelter in public buildings and in relatives’ and friends’ houses near Kebithigollewa town.
Two claymore mines were used in the attack on the bus carrying 150 passengers, police said. The powerful explosions reportedly flung the bus about 20 metres away from the spot where it was hit by the landmines, police and military officials said. The AP news agency quoted the Military Spokesman as saying the blast was believed to have been caused by a pair of land mines hanging from a tree, and detonated from a remote position.
Press reports said there were 15 children, two women and a Buddhist monk among the dead. A Sri Lanka Army soldier and a homeguard were also among the victims. Around 70 wounded were rushed to Anuradhapura hospital and 9 people, including 2 children and 3 women, were transferred to Colombo hospital.
The Sri Lankan government strongly condemned the Kebithigollewa attack as “barbaric and inhuman” and launched two days of airstrikes on LTTE-held areas in Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Vanni.
But President Mahinda Rajapakse who flew to Kebithigollewa received an unpleasant reception from enraged residents.
“Where is protection for us?” “Where is your peace with dignity?” “Why did you come to see the dead bodies?” “Don’t come this way again” and “We need security” were the words that welcomed him.
Rajapakse however continued to the Kebithigollewa Hospital and once inside, on his way to mortuary people in the corridors started to shout, demanding security.
On his way back from the mortuary, a few grieving relatives made their way to the President and said, “Mr. President, we voted for you and is this the gift you have to offer us? Why did you do this to us? We are respectable people, why have you done this to us?”
In response, President Mahinda Rajapaksa blamed the LTTE.
“The Tigers have done it again, this time it is children and innocent people. What would they expect from such attacks”, the President asked.
He said he instructed security forces in the area to take every action to provide security to the people. However he said the peace process would go ahead as usual, but urged the international community to pay more attention to such incidents as this.
“The LTTE has murdered small children and innocent people, I hope the international community will pay more attention to such barbaric incidents. At the same time the Government is still committed to a negotiated settlement”, he said.
Media Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa said the government strongly condemned the attack carried out by terrorists with the aim of instigating a backlash to fulfil their evil designs. “The Government urges the people to be calm and support its endeavour to eradicate the menace of terrorism,” he said.
However, the LTTE denied responsibility for the attack. The claymore attack on Sinhala civilians in Kebitigollawe was “senseless violence used for political ends,” the Liberation Tigers condemning the attack said in press release issued from Kilinochchi.
Armed acts targeting civilians “cannot be justified under any circumstances,” the LTTE press release said and charged Sri Lankan armed elements who have intensified their attacks on Tamil civilians for political ends, have also begun targeting Sinhala civilians with the aim of blaming the Tigers. The LTTE has urged the International media “not to fall prey for the reprehensible propaganda tactic.”
Peacebroker Norway vehemently condemned the attack. “This is the most horrific act that has been (carried out) in a long time in Sri Lanka and it must be utterly condemned,” top facilitator Erik Solheim, who is also Norway’s development aid minister, told AFP.
The United States also condemned the attack, noting: “This vicious attack bears all the hallmarks of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. It is a clear violation of the Ceasefire Agreement that the Tamil Tigers claim to uphold.”
The Swiss and Japanese governments also condemned the attack.
The Swiss said they “very strongly” condemn the attack and expressed Switzerland’s “condolences to the Sri Lankan population and authorities”.
On behalf of the government of Japan, Ambassador Akio Suda expressed his “strongest condemnation of the terrorist claymore attack,” adding: “Such dastardly terrorist attacks particularly targeting innocent common people are never accepted by any community in this country or the international community.”
From the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI has expressed his condolences to the families of those who died and were injured in the attack.
The Sri Lanka government retaliated with air strikes and artillery fire on LTTE-controlled areas. Kfir jets of the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) began bombing LTTE controlled Mullaithivu and its suburbs soon after the bus blast. A tsunami-resettlement village, Selvapuram, near Vattuvahal Bridge, was struck.
At least twelve bombs were also dropped on Kilinochchi suburbs from SLAF Kfir jets, which released the bombs from high altitudes. A further 10 bombs were dropped in the area surrounding Kilinochchi town on Friday, the day after the bus attack.
In Batticaloa SLAF Kfirs also bombed LTTE controlled Tharavai and Pulipaynthakal areas. Mortar shells were fired towards LTTE controlled territory in Batticaloa from Vavunathivu SLA camp, he added.
Sampoor and Muttur East areas in LTTE controlled Trincomalee were attacked with multi-barrel artillery fire. Several houses belong to Tamil civilians in Sampoor, Kaddaiparichchan, Koonitivu, Soodaikuda and Ilankanthai were destroyed in the artillery fire carried out from a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camp located at Monkey Bridge, south of Trincomalee. Three civilians were wounded and at least 10 civilian houses were damaged in the multi-barrel artillery attack.
Meanwhile, the LTTE claimed that the air strickes were a ceasefire violation and that the Sri Lankan Monitoring Mission (SLMM) had agreed with this position.
Amnesty International expressed concern over the retaliatory government air strikes.
While condemning the Kebithigollewa incident, Amnesty said the air strikes on could cause disproportionate loss of civilian life and in the process violates international humanitarian laws.
“Increasing numbers of civilians are being caught up in escalating violence sweeping the island. AI fears that a long-simmering, low-intensity conflict now threatens to explode, further exacerbating the human rights crisis in Sri Lanka,” AI added.
