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Three killed in suicide motorcycle attack in Sri Lanka

A soldier motions to a vehicle to stop on the outskirts of Colombo, Sri Lanka, yesterday after a bomb exploded inside a bus on the outskirts of the capital on Saturday. PHOTO: AFP

Three people were killed in an apparent suicide attack in Sri Lanka's restive east yesterday while security forces threw a blanket of security over the capital to prevent new attacks, officials said.

A suspected Tiger suicide bomber on a motorcycle crashed into another motorbike carrying two rival militants in Batticaloa district 300km east of Colombo.

"One man detonated the explosive immediately after crashing into the other bike, killing all three of them," a local military official said by telephone.

The two victims were from a Tamil Tiger breakaway faction that is contesting local polls on March 10.

In Colombo yesterday, police and other security forces launched a major security sweep a day after a parcel bomb aboard a private bus exploded, leaving at least 18 people wounded.

Ten men, seven women and a child were admitted to hospital after suffering minor injuries in the blast in Mount Lavinia, 10km south of Colombo, police said.

Police spokesman N.K. Illangakoon said they were awaiting a report from a government analyst to determine if the bomb was triggered by remote control or a timing device.

Security forces sealed off all entry and exit points to Colombo, paralyzing the city of 650,000.

Motorists had to wait in long lines at military checkpoints to have their vehicles inspected and get their identity verified.

Along with the search operations, Illangakoon said police had also intensified awareness programs to show bus and train commuters how to respond to a bomb threat.

Government and rebel forces exchanged artillery fire across the island's northern districts, killing at least 58 rebels on Saturday, the defense ministry said.
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