Six dead in Trinco blast

Ranil Wijayapala and Trincomalee correspondent

TRINCOMALEE: Six people including five Police and Security Forces personnel were killed and 15 others including eight civilians were injured yesterday as a bomb fixed to a three wheeler was detonated by the LTTE at Anuradhapura junction in Trincomalee around 11.45 a.m., military sources said.

The bomb exploded as the Security Forces and Police were checking a civilian bus plying from Trincomalee town to the fourth mile post after evacuating the passengers, sources added.

Trincomalee DIG Rohan Abeywardena told the Daily News that the bomb fixed to a three wheeler parked by the side of a security checkpoint at Anuradhapura junction four kilometres away from the Trincomalee town was exploded as Police tried to check it.

"According to preliminary investigations the bomb fixed to the three-wheeler had exploded itself or had been detonated by a remote controller," the DIG said.

"But the bomb was not aimed in one direction like in a claymore mine", the DIG Abeywardena added. The 15 injured people - eight civilians and seven Security Forces and Police personnel were admitted to the Trincomalee hospital soon after the incident.

Among the six people killed were four Police personnel including a female Home Guard, one civilian and a soldier.

Two shops by the side of the Security check point were also completely burnt in the explosion.