Sri Lanka: suicide bomb kills 14

[Aziel]

At least 14 people have been killed in a suicide bomb attack in southern Sri Lanka, police say.

The telecoms minister was among about 35 people injured in the blast at the town of Akuressa, 160km (100 miles) south of the capital, Colombo.

Government officials were attending a function at a mosque to celebrate an Islamic holiday at the time.

The defence ministry said the blast was carried out by Tamil Tiger rebels but no-one has yet admitted responsibility.


The Sri Lankan government has strongly condemned the attack. It urged people to remain calm and not to be provoked.


'Ministers targeted'

"An LTTE [Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam] suicide bomber has attacked a mosque at Godapitiya, in Akuressa, in the Matara district," the defence ministry said on its website.

Sri Lanka's oil minister AHM Fowzie, who was at the site, told Reuters news agency the bomber appeared to have targeted six ministers as they walked in a procession toward the mosque.

"This is an area where nobody expected a thing like this to happen," he said.

The ministers were attending a ceremony to mark the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad when a bomber on a bicycle set off the explosion behind them, officials told the BBC.

Post and Telecommunications Minister Mahinda Wijesekara was injured in the attack and is said to be in intensive care.

A helicopter has airlifted the critically wounded back to Colombo. One witness, Ahamed Nafri, told Associated Press he was walking toward the mosque at the time of the blast.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7934095.stm
(Graphic Picture at the head of the article!)

Someone taped the suicide bombing (graphic) and there is the picture from the BBC article which is as well graphic.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

And here is a picture (from the BBC) of the moment of the Explosion. You can actually see parts of the suicide bomber:

[cristophe el perno]

Proving what was only inevitable - Sri Lanka's attack on the LTTE strongholds had not damaged their will to fight, nor brought lasting peace any closer.

[Aziel]

I guess Sri Lanka isn't that important...

[ShADoW]

Lmao i guess..

[PartyElite]

im guessing the attack on the cricket team was based on the same issue

its real weird how effed up the world is, really

[antaeus]

its pretty predictable that the civil war in sri lanka was going to head down this road again.

terrorism and in particular suicide bombings are rarely used by enemies who are fighting on equal footing... its more of a last resort tactic when they're struggling or lost in the field and have no other options.

if the sri lankan army finishes them off in the field, and the government follows up on its promises of an inclusive government as well as massive injections of infrastructure money into the war torn north, and doesnt use attacks like this as a reason to crack down... then they have a real chance at ending the war.

but if they do use attacks like this as an excuse to crack down on the tamils living in reconquered regions... they wont see the end of war, and may fuel a re-escalation with the next generation.

[boofhead]

Not sure why they'd attack a mosque. A bit suspect to me. Like stomping on your own foot or biting the hand that feeds you.

If it was the LTTE it just goes to show what dogs they are.....unfriendly to all, just bloodthirsty kooks.

[antaeus]

Not sure why they'd attack a mosque. A bit suspect to me. Like stomping on your own foot or biting the hand that feeds you.

If it was the LTTE it just goes to show what dogs they are.....unfriendly to all, just bloodthirsty kooks.

the regions they're active in have a much higher muslim and christian population... also the tamil areas are home to the only arab descended populations in the country... only those who know local politics would be able to say for sure what the meaning is... perhaps the muslims have been too supportive of the government administration in the reconquered areas?

the tamil tigers have carried out attacks against the muslim populations under their rule before... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expulsi...ms_from_Jaffna

[Central Asian Qaghan]

the regions they're active in have a much higher muslim and christian population... also the tamil areas are home to the only arab descended populations in the country... only those who know local politics would be able to say for sure what the meaning is... perhaps the muslims have been too supportive of the government administration in the reconquered areas?

the tamil tigers have carried out attacks against the muslim populations under their rule before... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expulsi...ms_from_Jaffna

Quite true, but then what esle do you expect from the groups who are supporting the LTTE? Ask the Hindu extermists in Tamil Nadu in India what they think of Muslims and you'll get why the LTTE is quick to get its rocks off at pushing them away. Can't disapoint the people who buy you your weapons.

[hellheaven1987]

Not sure why they'd attack a mosque. A bit suspect to me. Like stomping on your own foot or biting the hand that feeds you.

If it was the LTTE it just goes to show what dogs they are.....unfriendly to all, just bloodthirsty kooks.

Same here; I am not even sure why Muslim would involve inside since the major religion in Sri Lanka is Buddism.

Either way, Sri Lanka government has a bad record of sabotage first then blaim it on Tamil Tiger; God knows whether the attack was planned by government or Tamil Tiger...

[Burnum]

Not sure why they'd attack a mosque. A bit suspect to me. Like stomping on your own foot or biting the hand that feeds you.

If it was the LTTE it just goes to show what dogs they are.....unfriendly to all, just bloodthirsty kooks.

They have a history of oppressing and ethnically cleansing Muslims because, By and large, the Sri Lankan Muslims community is nonviolent and anti-nationalist therefore a threat to their goals. Attacks on Muslims are quite common.

Evidence:
1)
2)
There's more but I can't be bothered and frankly it's more of the same.

[hellheaven1987]

They have a history of oppressing and ethnically cleansing Muslims because, By and large, the Sri Lankan Muslims community is nonviolent and anti-nationalist therefore a threat to their goals. Attacks on Muslims are quite common.

Evidence:
1)
2)
There's more but I can't be bothered and frankly it's more of the same.

Personally I believe it is rather the instruction of LTTE's sponsers or even better, Sri Lanka government did that (as Sri Lanka government is a racist government); either way, I still don't understand why LTTE wants to target Muslim when their opponent is Buddist.

[Arto]

Personally I believe it is rather the instruction of LTTE's sponsers or even better, Sri Lanka government did that (as Sri Lanka government is a racist government); either way, I still don't understand why LTTE wants to target Muslim when their opponent is Buddhist.

They don't like foreigners. These ers need to be punished.

[hellheaven1987]

They don't like foreigners. These ers need to be punished.

You mean both Sri Lanka government and Tamil Tiger??(both dislike foreigners)

[Burnum]

Personally I believe it is rather the instruction of LTTE's sponsers or even better, Sri Lanka government did that (as Sri Lanka government is a racist government); either way, I still don't understand why LTTE wants to target Muslim when their opponent is Buddist.

Muslims are one of the governments most active supporters of the government in Tamil Elam. It's no different to them attacking a Sinhalese village.

[2-D Ron]

This wouldn't of happened if they had 10,000 Brown M&M's to fill a Brandy Glass!

[Last Roman]

as with most things like this, its going to get worse before it gets better.