Colombo land mine explosion kills seven
{{date|August 14, 2006}}
[[Image:LocationSriLanka.png|right|thumb|Location of [[w:Sri Lanka|Sri Lanka]]]]
[[Image:Flag of Sri Lanka.svg|thumb|right|Flag of [[w:Sri Lanka|Sri Lanka]]]]

Hours after the [[w:Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam|Tamil Tigers]] threatened to bomb civilians in [[w:Colombo|Colombo]], [[w:Sri Lanka|Sri Lanka]], a powerful bomb went off. The device is thought to be a [[w:land mine|fragmentation mine]]. Seven people were killed and seventeen injured in the explosion, and it came hours after Sri Lanka's military carried out an air-raid that killed dozens.

The blast occurred within a mile of the official home of President [[w:Mahinda Rajapakse|Mahinda Rajapakse]]. A convoy with the [[w:Pakistan|Pakistani]] ambassador was travelling on the road as explosion occurred, but he was unhurt.

"Definitely it's an LTTE [Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam] attack to the Pakistan ambassador's car but they missed and the backup vehicle got caught," a Sri lankan military spokesman said. The Pakistani ambassador may be a target of the Tigers as Pakistan has backed the [[w:Politics of Sri Lanka|government of Sri Lanka]] diplomatically.

In the past few days, there have been fierce hostilities between government forces and Tamil Tigers in the north and the east of the country.

The Tamil Tigers are a military and political group that has waged a violent secessionist campaign against Sri Lanka’s government since the 1970s. Their aim is to secure self-government for the traditional Tamil regions in the north and east of Sri Lanka.

==Related==
*{{wikinews|title=Tamil Tigers say Sri Lanka's government bombed orphanage
|date=August 14, 2006}}

==Sources==
*{{source|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4789991.stm
|title=Seven killed in Colombo explosion 
|author=
|pub=BBC News Online
|date=August 14, 2006}}

*{{source|url=http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-08-14T144218Z_01_COL232155_RTRUKOC_0_US-SRILANKA.xml
|title=Dozens killed in Sri Lanka blast
|author=Simon Gardner
|pub=Reuters
|date=August 14, 2006}}

*{{source|url=http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=TopNews&storyID=2006-08-14T092342Z_01_COL232155_RTRUKOC_0_US-SRILANKA.xml&WTmodLoc=Home-C2-TopNews-TopNews-7
|title=Blast rocks Sri Lanka capital
|author=Simon Gardner
|pub=Reuters
|date=August 14, 2006}}

{{publish}}
{{Archive-unreviewed}}

[[Category:Politics and conflicts]]
[[Category:Asia]]
[[Category:Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam]]

[[pl:Eksplozja miny w Kolombo]]
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka

Hours after the Tamil Tigers threatened to bomb civilians in Colombo, Sri Lanka, a powerful bomb went off. The device is thought to be a fragmentation mine. Seven people were killed and seventeen injured in the explosion, and it came hours after Sri Lanka's military carried out an air-raid that killed dozens.

The blast occurred within a mile of the official home of President Mahinda Rajapakse. A convoy with the Pakistani ambassador was travelling on the road as explosion occurred, but he was unhurt.

"Definitely it's an LTTE Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam attack to the Pakistan ambassador's car but they missed and the backup vehicle got caught," a Sri lankan military spokesman said. The Pakistani ambassador may be a target of the Tigers as Pakistan has backed the government of Sri Lanka diplomatically.

In the past few days, there have been fierce hostilities between government forces and Tamil Tigers in the north and the east of the country.

The Tamil Tigers are a military and political group that has waged a violent secessionist campaign against Sri Lanka’s government since the 1970s. Their aim is to secure self-government for the traditional Tamil regions in the north and east of Sri Lanka.

*

*
Politics and conflicts Asia Sri Lanka Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam