One killed, nine wounded in Sri Lanka suicide blast

INT46International/TerrorismOne killed, nine wounded in Sri Lanka suicide blastColombo, Sep 28 IANS One civilian was killed and nine people, including four police and three military personnel, were wounded Sunday when a suspected Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam LTTE suicide bomber blew himself up targeting an auto-trishaw carrying police personnel in Sri Lanka's restive north, military sources here said. Military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara said the suicide blast took place near a bus stand in the heavily-guarded northern Vavuniya town, some 250 km north of here, around 3.30 p.m. Sunday. "An LTTE suicide cadre riding a push bike exploded himself, targeting a trishaw carrying four police personnel in the Vavuniya town Sunday. One civilian in the vicinity was killed. Four police personnel and three army soldiers were among the nine people injured," Nanayakkara told IANS.He said the wounded people have been rushed to the Anuradhapura hospital in the north-central provinceThe suicide explosion has taken place in Vavuniya town at a time when the advancing government troops and the Tamil Tiger rebels are locked in heavy fighting further up in the north. The military said last week that the troops advancing from various directions were just four kilometres away from Kilinochchi town, located 350 km north of here, and would mount attack on the rebels' political capital this week.The LTTE has been fighting against the Sri Lankan state to carve out a separate state for Tamils in the northern and eastern part of the island for the past three decades. Over 5,000 people have been killed and several thousands faced displacement due to fresh escalation of violence since December 2005. --Indo-Asian News Servicepk/sk/dg293 Words28091808