Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07COLOMBO28
2007-01-08 11:49:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Colombo
Cable title:
SRI LANKA: TWO BUS BOMBS KILL 21 IN SINHALESE
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000028
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/08/2016
TAGS: PTER PGOV MOPS PREL PHUM CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: TWO BUS BOMBS KILL 21 IN SINHALESE
SOUTH; EVIDENCE POINTS TO TIGERS
REF: A) COLOMBO 2126 AND PREVIOUS B) COLOMBO 1719
Classified By: A/DCM Michael R. DeTar, for reasons 1.4(b,d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000028
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/08/2016
TAGS: PTER PGOV MOPS PREL PHUM CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: TWO BUS BOMBS KILL 21 IN SINHALESE
SOUTH; EVIDENCE POINTS TO TIGERS
REF: A) COLOMBO 2126 AND PREVIOUS B) COLOMBO 1719
Classified By: A/DCM Michael R. DeTar, for reasons 1.4(b,d).
1. (C) Summary: A January 5 bomb blast on a passenger bus in
the Western Province town of Nittambuwa killed five and
injured 50. On January 6, a second bus bomb near the
southern coastal town of Hikkaduwa killed at least 15 people,
and injured 42. Both buses originated in Colombo. The
independent Sinhala Divaina newspaper reported that the
bombs, weighing approximately two kilograms each, were placed
in parcels under seats or on overhead luggage racks and
time-detonated. The Government of Sri Lanka (GSL) blamed
the Tamil Tigers (LTTE) for the bus bombs, a charge the
Tigers denied. On January 8, a suspected LTTE bomb destroyed
and damaged several power transformers in Wattala, six miles
north of Colombo. With these attacks, the LTTE appears to be
targeting civilian and economic interests in predominantly
Sinhalese areas. End summary.
2. (C) A January 5 bomb blast on a passenger bus in the
Western Province town of Nittambuwa killed five and injured
50. The bus was headed for the suburbs of Colombo. On
January 6, a second bus bomb near the southern coastal town
of Hikkaduwa killed at least 15 people, and injured 42. The
second bus originated in Colombo and was headed toward Galle
and Matara. A police source confirmed to RSO January 8 a
Sinhala Divaina newspaper report that the bombs, weighing
approximately two kilograms each, were placed in parcels
under a seat and on an overhead luggage rack respectively.
The bombs were time detonated 10-15 minutes after the bombers
were believed to have exited the bus. The police source
indicated that the police expect more incidents to follow and
are developing heightened security measures which will likely
delay public transportation.
3. (U) Police imposed curfews following the bus bombings and
questioned 34 individuals. Military spokesman Brigadier
Prasad Samarasinghe stated publicly on January 7: "The Tigers
are after civilian blood." LTTE Military spokesman Rasaiah
Illanthariyan responded via the pro-LTTE Tamilnet website:
"The GSL is trying to blame the LTTE for the two bomb blasts
in the south. This is a baseless allegation and an attempt
to discredit the LTTE." On January 7, the Nordic-led Sri
Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) issued a statement reminding
the parties to the conflict that the Ceasefire Agreement
(CFA) signed in February 2002, in which both the GSL and LTTE
agreed to "abstain from hostile acts against the civilian
population in accordance with international law," is still in
effect.
4. (U) A separate claymore bomb explosion on January 7
targeted a Security Task FORCE (STF) camp located in a border
village between Batticaloa and Ampara in the east; six
civilians were injured, according to the Media Center for
National Security. In a separate statement on January 6, the
SLMM expressed concern over the increase in claymore attacks
in recent weeks.
5. (U) At two a.m. on January 8, a suspected LTTE bomb
destroyed and damaged several power transformers in Wattala,
six miles north of Colombo. Military spokesman Brigadier
Prasad Samarasinghe told Pol FSN that LTTE cadres cut through
wire fencing to gain access to the power substation, and that
the explosion severely damaged three houses in the vicinity
6. (C) Comment: The LTTE's denials notwithstanding, observers
are virtually unanimous in their assessement that the Tigers
carried out the attacks in a tit-for-tat retaliation for
recent Sri Lankan AIR FORCE raids, particularly the strike
against a presumed "Sea Tiger" base north of Mannar which
killed 15 Tamil civilians. The LTTE now appears to have
adopted a new tactic of targeting civilian and economic
interests in predominantly Sinhalese areas. Like the LTTE
COLOMBO 00000028 002 OF 002
"Sea Tiger" attack on a naval base in the southern port of
Galle on October 18, these alleged LTTE bombings of civilian
targets deep within the Sinhalese south intend to send a
message that the LTTE can strike anywhere, and that the GSL
cannot limit the conflict to the north and east. These
attacks mark the first time that the LTTE has intentionally
targeted transportation and energy infrastructure since the
2002 Ceasefire Agreement came into force.
BLAKE
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/08/2016
TAGS: PTER PGOV MOPS PREL PHUM CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: TWO BUS BOMBS KILL 21 IN SINHALESE
SOUTH; EVIDENCE POINTS TO TIGERS
REF: A) COLOMBO 2126 AND PREVIOUS B) COLOMBO 1719
Classified By: A/DCM Michael R. DeTar, for reasons 1.4(b,d).
1. (C) Summary: A January 5 bomb blast on a passenger bus in
the Western Province town of Nittambuwa killed five and
injured 50. On January 6, a second bus bomb near the
southern coastal town of Hikkaduwa killed at least 15 people,
and injured 42. Both buses originated in Colombo. The
independent Sinhala Divaina newspaper reported that the
bombs, weighing approximately two kilograms each, were placed
in parcels under seats or on overhead luggage racks and
time-detonated. The Government of Sri Lanka (GSL) blamed
the Tamil Tigers (LTTE) for the bus bombs, a charge the
Tigers denied. On January 8, a suspected LTTE bomb destroyed
and damaged several power transformers in Wattala, six miles
north of Colombo. With these attacks, the LTTE appears to be
targeting civilian and economic interests in predominantly
Sinhalese areas. End summary.
2. (C) A January 5 bomb blast on a passenger bus in the
Western Province town of Nittambuwa killed five and injured
50. The bus was headed for the suburbs of Colombo. On
January 6, a second bus bomb near the southern coastal town
of Hikkaduwa killed at least 15 people, and injured 42. The
second bus originated in Colombo and was headed toward Galle
and Matara. A police source confirmed to RSO January 8 a
Sinhala Divaina newspaper report that the bombs, weighing
approximately two kilograms each, were placed in parcels
under a seat and on an overhead luggage rack respectively.
The bombs were time detonated 10-15 minutes after the bombers
were believed to have exited the bus. The police source
indicated that the police expect more incidents to follow and
are developing heightened security measures which will likely
delay public transportation.
3. (U) Police imposed curfews following the bus bombings and
questioned 34 individuals. Military spokesman Brigadier
Prasad Samarasinghe stated publicly on January 7: "The Tigers
are after civilian blood." LTTE Military spokesman Rasaiah
Illanthariyan responded via the pro-LTTE Tamilnet website:
"The GSL is trying to blame the LTTE for the two bomb blasts
in the south. This is a baseless allegation and an attempt
to discredit the LTTE." On January 7, the Nordic-led Sri
Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) issued a statement reminding
the parties to the conflict that the Ceasefire Agreement
(CFA) signed in February 2002, in which both the GSL and LTTE
agreed to "abstain from hostile acts against the civilian
population in accordance with international law," is still in
effect.
4. (U) A separate claymore bomb explosion on January 7
targeted a Security Task FORCE (STF) camp located in a border
village between Batticaloa and Ampara in the east; six
civilians were injured, according to the Media Center for
National Security. In a separate statement on January 6, the
SLMM expressed concern over the increase in claymore attacks
in recent weeks.
5. (U) At two a.m. on January 8, a suspected LTTE bomb
destroyed and damaged several power transformers in Wattala,
six miles north of Colombo. Military spokesman Brigadier
Prasad Samarasinghe told Pol FSN that LTTE cadres cut through
wire fencing to gain access to the power substation, and that
the explosion severely damaged three houses in the vicinity
6. (C) Comment: The LTTE's denials notwithstanding, observers
are virtually unanimous in their assessement that the Tigers
carried out the attacks in a tit-for-tat retaliation for
recent Sri Lankan AIR FORCE raids, particularly the strike
against a presumed "Sea Tiger" base north of Mannar which
killed 15 Tamil civilians. The LTTE now appears to have
adopted a new tactic of targeting civilian and economic
interests in predominantly Sinhalese areas. Like the LTTE
COLOMBO 00000028 002 OF 002
"Sea Tiger" attack on a naval base in the southern port of
Galle on October 18, these alleged LTTE bombings of civilian
targets deep within the Sinhalese south intend to send a
message that the LTTE can strike anywhere, and that the GSL
cannot limit the conflict to the north and east. These
attacks mark the first time that the LTTE has intentionally
targeted transportation and energy infrastructure since the
2002 Ceasefire Agreement came into force.
BLAKE