Three passengers injured in Lanka train blast

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

Colombo, June 6: A Colombo-bound passenger train came under a mine attack at Vahaneri in the eastern Batticaloa district this morning, leaving at least three passengers wounded, military sources here said.

Blaming the Tamil Tiger rebels for the blast, Sri Lanka's Defence Ministry in a report said an improvised explosive device (IED) was placed on the rail track targeting the passengers.

''The train has been derailed and few of the cabins have been damaged due to the incident. Three passengers have suffered minor injuries due to the derailing,'' the report said.

There was no reaction from the LTTE in this regard.

The blast took place at a time when visiting Japanese special envoy for peace-building, rehabilitation and reconstruction in Sri Lanka Mr Yasushi Akashi, was planning a fact-finding visit to the eastern Batticaloa district, where the government was resettling thousands of war displaced civilians.

''The visit to Batticaloa by Ambassador Akashi has not been finalised,'' a Japanese Embassy official told UNI.

The embassy here said the aim of Mr Akashi's five-day visit to Colombo was ''to discuss with the government and the parties concerned, the current situation of the peace process and its future.'' Mr Akashi is scheduled to hold talks with President Mahindra Rajapakse today.

However, the official said Mr Akashi ''is unlikely'' to travel to the rebel-held Kilinochchi, to hold talks with the LTTE leaders due to the prevailing security situation.

''I don't think that he will go to Kilinochchi this time around,'' he said.

Heavy fighting has been going on along the entry/exit point at Omanthai in Vavuniya, the northern most border that divides areas controlled by the government and the LTTE, since Saturday.

Over 4000 people have been killed since December last year due to ongoing clashes between the government troops and the LTTE.

UNI

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