67 killed, over 60 hurt in SL suicide explosion

Colombo, Oct 16: At least 67 Sri Lankan security force personnel were killed and over 60 wounded when a suspected LTTE truck packed with high explosives rammed a vehicle convey of buses carrying navy personnel on leave near Habarana, military sources said.

''At least 67 security force personnel have been killed and over 60 wounded so far when the LTTE suicide lorry hit the navy convoy at Thigampathaha, Habarana on the Trincomalee-Colombo Main Supply Route (MSR),'' a top naval official attached to the Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) told UNI over the phone.

Claiming that the LTTE had targeted the unarmed security force personnel on leave, the naval official expressed fear that ''the casualty figure might go up''.

''The wounded sailors have been evacuated to Dambulla and Trincomalee. Some of the seriously wounded sailors have been airlifted to Colombo,'' the official said.

The suspected suicide explosion has taken place barely six days after the heavy clashes between the military and the rebels in Muhamalai, Nagar Kovil and Kilali areas in the Northern Jaffna peninsula on Wednesday left over 400 combatants being killed and nearly 1000 wounded while causing a worse military set back to the Sri Lanka after the Norwegian-brokered ceasefire agreement came into operation in February 2002.

UNI