Fourteen people were killed and several, including three Sri Lankan ministers were wounded on Tuesday March 10 in a bomb explosion at a Islamic procession in Akuressa in Matara in Southern Province, Sri Lankan Police said.
The bomb went off at about 10.30am during a ceremony celebrating the Islamic festival of Milad-Un-Nabi near the Junna mosque in the Matara district, about 100 miles south of the capital Colombo, an army spokesman said.
The bomb went off at about 10.30am during a ceremony celebrating the Islamic festival of Milad-Un-Nabi near the Junna mosque in the Matara district, about 100 miles south of the capital Colombo, an army spokesman said.
As usual the Sri Lankan police and the military blamed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), for the explosion, even before conducting any investigation.
"Definitely, it is LTTE," said Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara, Sri Lanka's defence spokesman.
According to media reports, 46 people were injured including three government ministers. Mahinda Wijesekara is the minister of Special Projects, and of Posts and Telecommunications, was among the injured.
"Six ministers were there and terrorists used this opportunity to target us. Only one minister, Mahinda Wijesekara, got injured," AHM Fowzie, Sri Lanka's oil resources minister, told the Reuters news agency.
The Sri Lankan government condemned the attack, saying it will only strengthen the government's resolve to end terrorism in the island.
"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.
