Bomb in Colombo: number of dead rises to 26
Colombo (AsiaNews) - 26 are dead and about 16 wounded following yesterday's bomb attack near Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. The powerful bomb exploded at a bus station in Piliyandala, on the outskirts of the city. At the moment of the explosion, the station was full of people returning home after work. Meanwhile, the army says that it has taken control of the entire area of the shrine of Madhu, in the north, which had been in the hands of the Tamil Tiger rebels.
Suspicion over yesterday's attack is focused on the Tigers, although no one has claimed responsibility. "As long as the government tries to use violence to emerge from the conflict, innocent civilians will be victims more and more everywhere in the country", say some of the relatives of those who died in Piliyandala. There has been a unanimous chorus of condemnation from the Buddhist, Catholic, Tamil, and Sinhalese communities in Colombo. For everyone, the main cause of the escalation of violence in recent weeks is to be sought in the government's withdrawal from the cease-fire agreement signed in 2002 with the rebels. And medical sources say that the number of those who died in yesterday's attack could rise even higher, because many of the wounded are in critical condition.
What was probably the most bloody battle in the last 18 months took place this week. In clashes in Jaffna, on April 23, at least 165 soldiers lost their lives, while the Tigers are believed to have suffered heavy casualties. Yesterday, the army said that it had taken control of the area of the shrine of Madhu, without any confrontation with the separatists. At this time, there has been no official statement from the diocese of Mannar, where the shrine is located. The bishop, Rayappu Joseph, has long appealed to both parties in conflict that they cease their military operations around the church.
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24/01/2007
