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| Sri Lanka |
| Suicide Blast Hits Army Headquarters |
| 2006-04-25 |
| Colombo, 25 April (AKI) - A female suicide bomber blew herself up inside the Sri Lankan army headquarters in the capital Colombo, killing at least six people and injuring the head of the army, Lt. General Sarath Fonseka. This latest attack seriously calls into question the current peace process between the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tiger rebels who have been fighting for an independent homeland for minority Tamils in the north and east of the country since 1983. No one has claimed responsibility for Tuesday's attack. However Tamil Tigers are known to frequently use suicide bombers in their operations. In the past month, the north and east of the country have been rocked by mine attacks and ethnic riots. Last week the rebels pulled out of scheduled talks with the government but this latest attack has brought the violence to a new level. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) argues that Tamils have been discriminated against by successive majority Sinhalese governments. A ceasefire was brokered between the government and the Tamil rebels in February 2002 after a two-decade long insurgency claimed more than 60,000 lives. Tuesday's blast is the first suicide attack since July 2004. |
| Posted by:Steve |