Colombo: Struggling to retain their last bit of territory in the north, LTTE struck back with vengeance on Tuesday when one of their suicide bombers killed at least 15 people and injured more than 20 others, including a senior minister, outside a mosque in southern Sri Lanka.
Postal Services Minister Mahinda Wijesekara, who is battling for his life, was airlifted to Colombo for emergency treatment. Southern province Chief Minister HG Sirisena was also injured in the attack.
"Around 10-15 people were killed as the suicide bomber struck the celebrations outside the mosque at Matara," Matara police spokesman Ranjit Gunasekara said.
The bomber appeared to have targeted six ministers and local politicians as they walked in a procession towards a mosque in Akuressa area in Matara to mark Milad-ud-Nabi, the
birth anniversary of Prophet Mohammad.
The attack came at a time when the Sri Lankan forces are on the verge of rooting out the LTTE from their last territory in Wanni region after 25 years of ethnic conflict.
The strike showed that the LTTE still retained some capability to launch attacks far from their traditional strongholds in the north and east.
Military spokesman Brig Udaya Nanayakkara said the blast was a suicide bomb attack and carried out by the LTTE.
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