Rafik JALALDEEN
Deputy Minister Siripala Gamlath and newly appointed Ministry Secretary Ranjith Wijethilaka were among the injured
COLOMBO: Agriculture Development and Agrarian Services Development Minister Maithripala Sirisena narrowly escaped an LTTE attempt on his life yesterday afternoon in Pirivena junction, Boralesgamuwa.
A female suicide terrorist blew herself targeting Minister Sirisena’s motorcade at Pirivena junction around 1.15 p.m. when the Minister was returning after a Government function in Bandaragama, Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said.
The Minister escaped unharmed and one of the cars in the convoy was caught in the suicide attack. “A civilian was killed and five others injured including Deputy Minister Siripala Gamlath and newly appointed Ministry Secretary Ranjith Wijethilaka,” he added.
“Wijethilaka had taken oaths today in the presence of Minister Sirisena before the suicide blast,” Ministry sources said.
According to sources at Kalubowila hospital, five persons were admitted to the hospital immediately after the bomb blast. The Deputy Minister and the Ministry Secretary had been transferred to the Colombo National Hospital later.
Deputy Director of the Colombo National Hospital Dr. Anil Jasinghe told the Daily News that three injured persons had been brought to the CNH including Ministry Secretary Wijeyathilaka and two others. One succumbed to his injuries on admission to hospital.
“Ministry’s Secretary Wijethilaka who is seriously injured in the blast was treated at the ICU and the third victim Ananda Withanage had undergone brain surgery,” he added.
Two of the Minister’s vehicles and several other vehicles were damaged in the incident.
“The minister’s convoy vehicle bearing the number KB-0935 caught in the blast was badly damaged and several other vehicles in the vicinity were also damaged,” police spokesman SSP Ranjith Gunasekera said. He said police beefed up security and a subsequent search operation was launched in the area. “Four police teams were deployed to conduct a full scale of investigation,” he added.
The Government Analyst had visited the scene.
He however declined to reveal the weight of the explosives used by the Tiger suicide cadre as it was early to ascertain the degree of explosives.
Minister Sirisena earlier escaped an LTTE suicide attempt on his life in Modera on March 1, 2008.
Source
Deputy Minister Siripala Gamlath and newly appointed Ministry Secretary Ranjith Wijethilaka were among the injured
COLOMBO: Agriculture Development and Agrarian Services Development Minister Maithripala Sirisena narrowly escaped an LTTE attempt on his life yesterday afternoon in Pirivena junction, Boralesgamuwa.
A female suicide terrorist blew herself targeting Minister Sirisena’s motorcade at Pirivena junction around 1.15 p.m. when the Minister was returning after a Government function in Bandaragama, Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said.
The Minister escaped unharmed and one of the cars in the convoy was caught in the suicide attack. “A civilian was killed and five others injured including Deputy Minister Siripala Gamlath and newly appointed Ministry Secretary Ranjith Wijethilaka,” he added.
“Wijethilaka had taken oaths today in the presence of Minister Sirisena before the suicide blast,” Ministry sources said.
According to sources at Kalubowila hospital, five persons were admitted to the hospital immediately after the bomb blast. The Deputy Minister and the Ministry Secretary had been transferred to the Colombo National Hospital later.
Deputy Director of the Colombo National Hospital Dr. Anil Jasinghe told the Daily News that three injured persons had been brought to the CNH including Ministry Secretary Wijeyathilaka and two others. One succumbed to his injuries on admission to hospital.
“Ministry’s Secretary Wijethilaka who is seriously injured in the blast was treated at the ICU and the third victim Ananda Withanage had undergone brain surgery,” he added.
Two of the Minister’s vehicles and several other vehicles were damaged in the incident.
“The minister’s convoy vehicle bearing the number KB-0935 caught in the blast was badly damaged and several other vehicles in the vicinity were also damaged,” police spokesman SSP Ranjith Gunasekera said. He said police beefed up security and a subsequent search operation was launched in the area. “Four police teams were deployed to conduct a full scale of investigation,” he added.
The Government Analyst had visited the scene.
He however declined to reveal the weight of the explosives used by the Tiger suicide cadre as it was early to ascertain the degree of explosives.
Minister Sirisena earlier escaped an LTTE suicide attempt on his life in Modera on March 1, 2008.
Source
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