Sunday, April 6, 2008

Sri Lankan president vows to eradicate terrorism

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa Sunday condemned the assassination of a senior minister and vowed to eradicate terrorism in the country.

Rajapaksa said in a statement that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) "has repeated its brutality targeting a leader of the Catholics and Christian communities of Sri Lanka, who played an important role in bringing about greater understanding among different communities."

An LTTE suicide bomber killed Highway and Road Development Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle who was the chief guest of a road marathon in Weliweriaya, about 19 km northeast of the capital Colombo, around 7:30 a.m. (0200 GMT).

Fourteen people were also killed and 83 others were injured in the explosion, the Ministry of Defense said.

K. A. Karunarathna, a former national marathon champion and South Asian marathon gold medalist and Luxman Alwis, a national athletic coach were also among those killed.

Read more,
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-04/07/content_7930467.htm

LTTE kills Sri Lanka's Tamil Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle - video







Source,
Youtube

Photos - Weliweriya bomb blast











photos,
Reuters and
www.news.lk

LTTE terrorists explode bomb targeting road marathon; Minister Jeyraj Fernandopulle killed

LTTE terrorists have exploded a bomb targeting a road marathon organized in the Weliweriaya town around 7.30 this morning.

According to the available information Minister of Highways and Road Development Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, who was the chief guest to the occasion along with many civilians who have been killed in the cowardly bomb attack.

The bomb has been exploded just before the Minister declared the start of the marathon at the Kanthi play ground, in Weliweriaya.

Meanwhile, Gampaha Division SSP Hector Darmasiri was also seriously injured and admitted to the General Hospital at Gampaha. Gampaha Hospital sources, speaking to defence.lk said that over 50 people were admitted and more casualties were been received at the moment.

Read more,
http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20080406_04
photo,
http://www.jeyaraj.org/