Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08COLOMBO930
2008-10-09 11:42:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Colombo
Cable title:
SRI LANKA: SUICIDE BOMBER MISSES MINISTER SIRISENA
how-toVZCZCXRO2114 PP RUEHBI DE RUEHLM #0930 2831142 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 091142Z OCT 08 FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8756 INFO RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 1098 RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 8099 RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 6301 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4551 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 2324 RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 4521 RUEHSM/AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM 0544 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 3625 RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 8726 RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI 6137 RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 2971
C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 000930
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/09/2016
TAGS: PGOV PTER CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: SUICIDE BOMBER MISSES MINISTER SIRISENA
BUT KILLS 1 AND INJURES 5
REF: COLOMBO 921
Classified By: Ambassador Robert O. Blake, Jr., for reasons 1.4 (b,d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 000930
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/09/2016
TAGS: PGOV PTER CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: SUICIDE BOMBER MISSES MINISTER SIRISENA
BUT KILLS 1 AND INJURES 5
REF: COLOMBO 921
Classified By: Ambassador Robert O. Blake, Jr., for reasons 1.4 (b,d).
¶1. (U) On October 9 a suicide bomber targeted the motorcade
of Minister of Agricultural Development and Agrarian Services
Development Maithripala Sirisena 15 kilometers south of
central Colombo. One person was killed and five were injured
including Deputy Minister Gamlath and the Minister's private
secretary. Sirisena escaped unharmed.
¶2. (C) COMMENT: Sirisena, in addition to his influential
ministerial portfolio, is the General Secretary of the ruling
SLFP party and hails from the North Central Province (NCP).
This attack comes just three days after NCP opposition leader
Janaka Perera's assassination in Anuradhapura (ref A). Both
suicide bombings bear all the hallmarks of LTTE operations
and may portend a ratcheting up of attacks as heavy fighting
continues in the North. End Comment
BLAKE