Blast in town east of Sri Lankan capital: witness

Colombo, June 26 : An explosion rocked a small town east of the Sri Lankan capital Today just 10 km from a large military base, witnesses said, but there were no immediate reports of any injuries.

The island's military said it had received reports of a blast, but had no immediate details.

''I was about 200 metres (yards) away. I heard the explosion and saw smoke,'' said 29-year-old engineer Chaminda Wickramanayake, from the town of Panipitiya, which lies around 12 miles east of Colombo.

The blast comes on the heels of a rash of ambushes, attacks and military clashes that have killed around 700 people so far this year in escalating violence many fear could reignite a two-decade civil war with Tamil Tiger rebels.

Reuters