76 Lankan sailors killed in LTTE suicide attack on convoy of naval buses
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
New Delhi, Oct 16, IRNA
Sri Lanka-LTTE-Attack
In a deadly attack, at least 76 Sri Lankan sailors have been killed and more than 60 injured when LTTE suicide bombers rammed a truck into a convoy of Navy buses in Trincomalee district in the island's northeast.
A truck packed with explosives drove into a "transit" point, where about 15 buses with sailors were standing at Dambulla, about 150 km and exploded killing 63 personnel on the spot, Doordarshan News said here.
Thirteen others succumbed to injuries at hospitals they said.
Helicopters were pressed into service to airlift the wounded to hospitals.
Most of Naval personnel in the buses were going home on leave while some were returning to their posts, they said.
Although the LTTE has not owned up the strike, sources said it bore the hallmark of rebels' operation.
The attack comes as the country witnesses a flurry of diplomatic activity ahead of scheduled talks between the government and the LTTE later this month in Switzerland.
Japanese envoy Yashushi Akashi held talks with President Mahinda Rajapakse while Norwegian peace envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer is also scheduled to return to the island this week.
US Assistant Secretary of State for Central and South Asian Affairs Richard Boucher is expected to make a visit to Sri Lanka on Thursday.
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