Blast rocks Lanka capital

Colombo, January 3, 2009

At least three people were injured and several vehicles damaged in an explosion in Sri Lanka capital Colombo on Saturday, a day after Sri Lankan troops captured the separatist Tamil Tiger rebels' headquarters town of Kilinochchi, officials said.

The cause of the blast was not immediately known. A spokesman for Sri Lanka's army, Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara, said there had been an explosion inside a van.

The blast came a day after Sri Lankan troops captured the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Tigers (LTTE) headquarters town of Kilinochchi after months of fighting.

Saturday's explosion in the commercial quarter of Colombo is the second in the capital in two days.

'There has been an explosion in the Pettah area, a few vehicles are aflame, we have teams investigating,' a police official said, asking not to be named.

Hospital authorities said three people were admitted with minor injuries.-Reuters

Tags: LTTE | Lanka | capture | Kilinochchi |