Tiger suicide blast kills Maj. Gen. Janaka Perera

27 others killed, wife among victims:

Ranil Wijayapala and Nimal Wijesinghe Anuradhapura District Group Correspondent

Anuradhapura: Twenty eight persons including North Central Provincial Council Opposition Leader Major General (Rtd) Janaka Perera, his wife who is also a former military officer and several other prominent UNP members in Anuradhapura district were killed as an LTTE suicide terrorist blew himself at a UNP function near the Anuradhapura old bus stand around 8.40 a.m yesterday.

According to Police and hospital sources 22 people were killed on the spot and six others succumbed to injuries after being admitted to Anuradhapura hospital. According to Anuradhapura hospital director Sarath Weerabandara 86 injured people have been admitted to Anuradhapura hospital following the incident and 15 of them were critical.

The suicide cadre, a male had blown himself as Major General Perera was attending a function to open the new NCP Opposition Leader’s office in Dharmapala Mawatha, Anuradhapura along with a few other UNP Provincial Councillors.

The suicide attack targeting Major General Perera who had been a target of the LTTE for a long period occured just hours after the pro-LTTE Tamilnet website carried a news report under the title ‘UNP lends support to Government’s War effort’ (see box) highlighting the visit of a Colombo district UNP MP to the Sri Jayawardenapura hospital to see injured soldiers undergoing treatment there.

The LTTE suicide attack in Anuradhapura also took place just a day after Army Commander Lt. General Sarath Fonseka and all key Army officials including the field commanders from the battlefront in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu attended the Flag Blessings ceremony held at the sacred Sri Maha Bodhi on Saturday.

Investigators also believe the suicide cadre would have arrived there targeting the Army officials attending this ceremony but would have blown himself targeting this function as he was unable to carry out his mission due to intense security measures in place in Anuradhapura during the Army Flag Blessing ceremony.

UNP’s Anuradhapura district Manager Dr. John Pulle who was also the former Chairman of the Rajarata Bus Company, his wife Dr. Mrs. John Pulle, UNP Legal Advisor Attorney-at-law A.C.S. Hameed, North Central Provincial Council UNP Member Shantha Dissanayake and UNP Provincial Council candidate Subashi Charles were also among the dead.

Sirasa and MTV Anuradhapura correspondent Rashmi Mohamed Maharoof who was covering the event was also succumbed to his injuries after being admitted to the Anuradhapura hospital.

According to eyewitnesses a suicide cadre a dark and short man had reached the function and unbuttoned his shirt facing Major General Perera and the crowd instantaneously killing himself and the crowd.

According to investigators only the legs of the suicide cadre’s has been left after the blast. “He had used a relatively large quantity of explosives for this blast as his head was also blown off without leaving a trace about his appearance.”