Sri Lankan State Minister Killed in Bomb Attack

The State Minister of Nation Building D. M. Dassanayaka was assassinated in a claymore mine explosion at Ja-ela, 12 miles (19 km) north of Colombo, on the Colombo-Negombo Road, this morning (January 08), believed to have been carried out by the LTTE.

Mr. Dassanayaka who was among those injured in the explosion, died as a result of his injuries, while undergoing urgent surgery at the Colombo North Teaching Hospital, Ragama, where the injured in the bomb explosion were rushed for medical attention. According to latest defense sources, a security officer of Minister Dassanayaka’s security detail also succumbed to injuries.

As Minister of Nation Building Mr. Dassanayaka was directly in charge of rehabilitation and reconstruction work in the Eastern Province that was liberated from separatist terrorists some months ago. He was spearheading the rehabilitation work in the East, restoring normalcy to the lives of people after more than 15 years of control by the LTTE.

Police said the LTTE were behind today’s attack carried out using a claymore mine. This is the third mine explosion carried out by the LTTE since January 1, 2008. A suspected claymore attack by LTTE terrorists on an army vehicle opposite the Nippon Hotel, Colombo on January 02, resulted in the death of 4 persons, three civilians and a soldier, and injury to 14 others. Three soldiers were killed and three others wounded in a pressure mine explosion on January 03 at Sinhayaulpatha, in Welioya (245 km Colombo) in the North Central Province.

Defence sources said today’s claymore mine attack at Ja-ela targeted the motorcade of Minister Dassanayaka. According to Military Spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara the Minister and 9 civilians were injured in the explosion and were admitted to Ragama hospital.

Source: Sri Lanka Government

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