LTTE EXPLODES TWO WAY SIDE BOMBS IN THE BUSY SECTION OF THE COLOMBO FORT AND INJURES 7 INCLUDING CIVILIANS

By Walter Jayawardhana

Suspected terrorists of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam ( LTTE)
Exploded roadside bombs installed on two parked motor bicycles in the the busy market area in the down town of the Colombo city injuring three civilians and four army personnel.

Sources in the Ministry of Defense said the explosion occurred in the first Cross Street of Colombo Fort close to the Gate # 4 of the city’s harbor.

Sources said Improvised Explosive Devices , believed to have been mounted on two parked motor bicycles have been detonated remotely by the terrorists injuring the civilians on the road and the army personnel just passing by in a bus. The sources said the attackers may have targeted the army vehicle. Only four soldiers were traveling in the bus and none of them were severely injured.
Bomb squad officials who examined the bus said the charred remains of the motor bicycles were found on the road near the bus and the windows of the bus have been blown out.

The injured civilians and the military men have been admitted to the National Hospital in Colombo and the medical sources said the condition of two of the injured were critical.

The terrorist attack came hours after the marine wing of the LTTE- the Sea Tigers attacked the Delft Island in the Jaffna peninsula killing several Sri Lanka Navy personnel.

The Defense sources said 12 LTTE boats led by three suicide boats attacked Delft island in the Northern Province and the gun battles that started at 1 a.m. had lasted until 7 a.m. on Thursday. According to Naval sources one attack boat sank before others withdrew.