4 Sri Lankan Civilians Killed In Bus Ambush

At least four civilians were killed and 25 others injured when gunmen ambushed a crowded passenger bus in Sri Lanka’s deep south on Friday, according to army officials.

The incident took place in the southern town of Buttala, 240km south-east of the capital, Colombo, considerably far from the regular struggle regions in the north.

Authorities reported that the still unidentified attackers, hiding by the side of the road, began to fire at the bus as it passed. However, officials believe that the assaulters are members of the Tamil Tiger rebels, who are disputing for an autonomous homeland in Sri Lanka. Rebel spokesman Rasiah Ilanthirayan could not be contacted for comment. The Tamil Tigers have been held responsible for various suicide bombings and other attacks on civilians and are registered as a terror group by the United States, European Union and India.

The Associated Press cited military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara as saying that the bus driver accelerated in order to avoid the attack and stopped only when he was sure to have reached shelter.

The defense ministry reported in a statement that two women and a 12-year-old child were also among the victims murdered in the assault and their dead bodies have been taken to the hospital. A wounded individual died at the hospital because of the critical injuries, raising the number of dead to four, according to the statement.

In January this year, 26 people died in a bomb attack on a bus in the same region of Sri Lanka. Buttala is in a Sinhalese-ruled area, far from the rebels’ monopoly in the north.

Source: enews20