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Suicide Attacks by the LTTE

1987

July 5: The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) carries out its first suicide bombing at the Nelliady army camp killing 40 security force (SF) personnel.

1990

July 12: Six SF personnel are killed when a group of four male suicide squad cadres of the LTTE attack a Naval Vessel in Trincomalee with an explosives-laden boat.

November 23: Three soldiers die as two suicide bombers attack the Manakulam Army Camp with a car laden with explosives.

1991

March 2: Deputy Defence Minister Ranjan Wijeratne and 18 persons are killed by an LTTE suicide bomber at Havelock Road in the national capital Colombo.

March 19: Five soldiers are killed in a LTTE suicide cadre attack at the Army camp in Silavathurai.

May 5: Two ‘Sea Tigers’ attack a Naval Vessel in Trincomalee with an explosive-laden boat killing five SF personnel.

May 11: At Kankesanthurai, three Navy personnel are killed during an attack by a group of three male ‘Sea Tigers’.

May 21: Former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and 18 persons are killed by a female suicide bomber in the town of Sriperumbudur, approximately 30 miles from Chennai, capital of the southern State of Tamil Nadu.

June 21: At least twenty-one people are killed and more than 175 others sustain injuries as a suicide bomber drives a truck laden with explosives into the Joint Operations Command Office at the Flower Road in Colombo.

1992

November 16: Commander of the Sri Lankan Navy, Vice Admiral W.W.E.C. Fernando, and four Navy personnel are killed by a motorcycle-borne suicide bomber at Galle Face in Colombo.

1993

May 1: A suicide bomber, later identified as Babu, kills President Ranasinghe Premadasa and 23 persons during a May Day rally at the Armour Street Junction in Colombo.

1994

October 24: Leader of the Opposition and United National Party candidate for the Presidential Elections, Gamini Dissanayake, and 58 persons are killed by a female suicide bomber at Thotalaga (Grandpass) Junction in Colombo.

1995

April 19: A suicide squad attacks two naval vessels in Trincomalee killing 12 soldiers.

August 7: A male suicide bomber set off a cartload of explosives at Independence Square in Colombo killing 22 people and injuring more than 40 others.

October 17: Nine Navy personnel are killed and a Vessel is damaged after a male suicide bomber targeted the naval facility in Trincomalee.

November 3: A suicide unit intruded into an oil storage depot in Colombo and destroyed 14 storage tanks—causing $61 million in damage. They also killed 23 soldiers and two civilians.

November 11: A female suicide bomber exploded herself near the Slave Island Railway Station in Colombo causing the death of 15 children, a police personnel and one soldier.

November 24: Two women suicide cadres target the headquarters of the Sri Lankan Army and explode bombs concealed in their vests killing at least 16 people and wounding 52 others.

December 5: During an attack on the Police camp in Batticaloa by a group of three male suicide bombers driving a truck laden with explosives, at least 23 police personnel are killed.

December 11: Fourteen civilians and three SF personnel are killed and 59 persons sustain injuries when two LTTE suicide bombers blew themselves up during an attack on the Army Headquarters complex in Colombo.

December 30: An Sri Lanka Army (SLA) officer and a civilian were wounded when a member of the LTTE suicide squad blew himself up at Kalladi in the Batticaloa district.

1996

January 31: A suicide bomber detonates a truck loaded with more than 100 kilograms of explosives in front of the Central Bank at Janadipathi Mawatha in Colombo killing 91 people and wounding at least 1,400 others.

April 1: At least 10 SF personnel are killed after two suicide squad cadres detonate a boat laden with explosives at Vettilaikerni.

April 18: The naval wing of the LTTE, Sea Tigers, launched a suicide raid on the port of Colombo. Nine LTTE cadres are killed when the troops blew up their boats.

July 4: At least 20 people, including Jaffna military commander Brig. Ananda Hamangoda, are killed and approximately 60 others sustain injuries when a female suicide bomber detonated explosives strapped to her waist as a minister’s motorcade stopped on the Stanley Road in Jaffna town. The Tigers’ target, Housing and Construction Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, escaped with minor injuries.

October 25: Twelve personnel of the Sri Lankan navy are killed when a boat laden with explosives is detonated by two suicide squad cadres in Trincomalee.

November 25: A suicide bomber dies in an attack on a police vehicle, which critically wounded a police driver in the Trincomalee town.

December 17: A Deputy Police Commander is killed when a motorcycle laden with explosives is blown up by a male suicide bomber at a police unit in Amparai.

1997

March 5: During an attack at the Air Force base in Trincomalee, four LTTE suicide cadres are killed and four Air Force personnel sustain injuries.

March 23: (Mullaitivu) 2 suicide boats were completely destroyed by the Sri Lankan Navy.

October 15: Suicide bombers detonate a truck packed with a large quantity of explosives in the parking lot at Galadari Hotel close to the World Trade Center in Colombo killing 18 persons and injuring at least 110 others.

October 19: During an attempt to destroy a naval gunboat on the north eastern coast, two sailors are killed and two LTTE boats are sunk.

November 14: Colombo’s Kelanitissa Power Plant is attacked by suicide bombers.

December 28: Three suicide bombers died when their truck exploded half a mile from the Magalle naval base in Galle District where Navy Commander Cecil Tissera was staying. Ten shops and two houses were damaged.

1998

January 25: Sixteen persons are killed as Sri Lanka's holiest Buddhist shrine, Sri Dalada Maligawa, Temple of the Tooth Relic, in Kandy town is attacked by a group of suicide bombers causing extensive damages to its buildings, a cultural heritage site recognised by the UNESCO.

February 6: A female suicide cadre exploded herself when she failed to penetrate through the SLAF road block near the Rio Cinema at Slave Island. Six soldiers and two civilians are killed in the incident.

February 23: In a suicide attack on the Point Pedro coast in northern Sri Lanka, eight boats laden with explosives and driven by suicide bombers crashed into two navy ships. At least 51 troops and 28 civilians are killed in this attack.

March 5: Thirty-six civilians and two police personnel are killed while 270 civilians sustain injuries when a mini-bus, filled with explosives, was blown up by a suicide bomber near the Maradana Police Station in Colombo.

May 14: Brigadier Larry Wijeyaratne, one of the Sri Lankan Army’s top commanders, is killed in Jaffna by a woman suicide bomber wearing an abdominal belt bomb.

September 11: Mayor of Jaffna, Ponnuyhurai Sivapalan, and 11 persons are killed and 12 people are wounded when a suicide bomber detonates a bomb strapped to his body at the Municipal Council building in Jaffna.

1999

March 18: A female suicide bomber kills herself and two persons near a police station in Colombo. The bomber’s target was Chief Inspector Mohammed Nilabdeen, head of the terrorism investigation unit. Nilabdeen and eight civilians were injured.

April 11: Two persons are killed and more than 20 others sustain injuries when a suspected LTTE suicide bomber blew himself up in a passenger bus in Kandy.

May 29: A cycle borne teenaged suicide bomber kills Muthulingam Ganeshkumar alias Razeek, leader of an anti-LTTE vigilante group called the "Razeek Group" on the Trincomalee road in Batticaloa. Along with Razeek, his bodyguard Chandran Jeyakumar, two civilians and the suicide bomber were killed and eight others were wounded.

July 25: A woman suicide bomber targets a ship docked in the Trincomalee harbor, hours before it was to take on passengers killing herself and a civilian.

July 29: Moderate Tamil politician Dr. Neelan Thiruchelvam, a Member of Parliament representing the Tamil United Liberation Front, and two more persons are killed by a suicide bomber at the Kynsly Road - Rosmead Place Junction in Borella, Colombo.

August 4: Nine police commandos and one civilian are killed when a woman suicide bomber threw herself at a police truck in Vavuniya, northern Sri Lanka. Eighteen commandos aboard the truck were injured.

August 9: In the first suicide bombing within an army camp, a male suicide bomber enters the Vakarai camp on the pretext of collecting weekly food relief and detonates a bomb strapped to his body killing Major T. G. J. B. Karunanayake, the second in command of an infantry battalion. Another Major, identified as J. H. Karunadasa, and three soldiers are wounded in the attack.

December 18: In a failed attempt by a female suicide bomber on the life of President Chandrika Kumaratunga at an election meeting at the Town Hall in Colombo, 21 persons are killed and over 100 others sustain injuries. The President is, however, injured in one eye due to shrapnel injuries. Among those killed were four police personnel, including Colombo's Deputy Inspector-General T.N. De Silva. At least three senior ministers and some foreign journalists, including a Japanese television crew, were among the injured.

December 18: Skandaraja Ashoka, a suicide bomber, detonates a bomb strapped to his body killing retired Major General Lakshman Chula Algama and 11 persons at a United National party (UNP) election rally at Ja-Ela in Colombo.

2000

January 5: A female suicide bomber explodes herself while she was under body search by Police on suspicion in front of the Prime Minister's Office at Flower Road in Colombo killing 13 civilians, three police officers and injuring 27 people.

March 2: Col. Piyal Abeysekara is targeted by a female suicide bomber at Inner Harbour Road in Trincomalee. While the Colonel survives the assassination attempt, his driver is killed.

March 10: At least 14 civilians and six police personnel are killed and 46 people sustain injuries when a group of five suicide squad cadres attack a motorcade on a busy highway leading to Ceremonial Drive at Sri Lanka’s Parliament in Colombo.

June 5: Thirty-four naval personnel are killed as a suicide squad of the ‘Sea Tigers’ sinks a gunboat of the Sri Lankan Navy off Vadamarachchi coast in Jaffna peninsula.

June 7: A suicide bomber kills the Minister of Industrial Development, C. V. Gooneratne, and 24 civilians whilst he was in a procession organised to mark ‘war heroes’ day at Golumadama Junction, Ratmalana.

June 14: Two civilians are killed and 11 persons sustain injuries during an abortive attempt by a person on a bicycle fitted with an explosive device at the Gemunu Palace Cinema Junction in Wattala to target a Sri Lanka Air Force bus.

June 26: MV Uhana, a ship carrying private cargo to Point Pedro from Trincomalee is attacked by a ring of LTTE suicide boats and the vessel was sunk after explosion. Out of 28 members of the civil crew on board the ship, 23 were rescued by Sri Lanka Navy while five were reported missing following the explosion. Three Naval ratings also died in the incident.

August 16: (Vavunia) A child was killed and five persons, including three army officials, injured in an attack near an army vehicle outside the Vavunia Town Hall in Colombo.

September 15: Seven people are killed and 28 others sustain injuries when a suicide bomber, on being detected, blew himself up in front of a busy hospital in Colombo. Health Minister Nimala Sripala de Silva had a narrow escape as he had passed through the site barely seven minutes before the blast.

October 3: National Unity Alliance Trincomalee District candidate M. L. Baithullah, a candidate for the October 10-parliamentary elections, and 20 persons, including four police personnel, are killed and approximately 49 persons are wounded when a suicide bomber attacked an election rally in Muttur town.

October 5: At least 12 persons are killed and over 40 injured when a LTTE suicide bomber blew himself up in an attempt to enter a People’s Alliance election meeting at the Medawachchiya bus stand, which was being addressed by the Health and Indigenous Medicine Deputy Minister Tissa Karaliyadda.

October 19: Three civilians are killed and 21 persons, including three Americans, are injured in a suicide bomb attack near the Colombo Town Hall as the new Cabinet takes oath.

2001

July 24: A group of at least 20 suicide squad cadres wearing military uniforms and carrying shoulder-launched anti-tank weapons, mortars, T-56 rifles and RPGs attack the Air Force base in Katunayake and the Bandaranaike International Airport, on the outskirts of Colombo. Eight military aircraft, including Kifr jets, two Mi-17 helicopters, one MiG-27 fighter, three Chinese K-8 trainer aircraft and six Airbus passenger aircraft are destroyed in the attack. Bodies of 13 LTTE cadres were found subsequently, including two of those who had blasted themselves. Six soldiers and an airport engineer were killed. A journalist of the state-run television Rupavahini, who was the only journalist to be allowed access into the airport during the incident, was wounded in the cross-fire.

October 29: Two police personnel and an equal number of civilians are killed while 14 persons sustain injuries when a male suicide bomber blew himself up in close proximity to a meeting of Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake at Narahenpita in the residential outskirts of Colombo.

October 30: Three soldiers and four of the bombers, including two women, are killed in a suicide boat attack on an oil tanker, MV Silk Pride, off the port of Point Pedro on the northern Jaffna peninsula.

November 15: Three Army intelligence personnel and a civilian are killed while eight persons sustain injuries in a suicide bomb attack at a high security zone in Batticaloa town.

2004

July 7: A woman suicide bomber, identified as Thiyagaraja Jeyarani, detonated the explosives strapped around her waist at the Kollupitiya Police station next to the Sri Lankan Prime Minister's official residence in Colombo killing herself and four police personnel and injuring nine persons. She was reportedly on a mission to assassinate Cabinet Minister Douglas Devananda, a vocal critic of the LTTE.

2006

January 7: Fifteen Sri Lankan Navy personnel are killed in a suspected suicide attack by the LTTE on a navy gunboat outside the Trincomalee naval harbor in Trincomalee district.

February 11: One of four suspected LTTE Sea Tigers aboard on a speeding trawler blew himself up in mid-sea off Talaimannar in the Mannar district after being intercepted by SLN personnel, killing four sea Tigers on board and injuring a SLN personnel, who succumbed to his injuries later.

March 25: Six LTTE cadres and eight sailors were killed in a suspected suicide attack by the outfit, when a boat heading to northern Sri Lanka and carrying LTTE cadres exploded off the northwest coast near a naval craft in the Kalpititya area of Puttalam district.

April 25: Army Commander Lt. General Sarath Fonseka is critically injured while at least eight persons are killed when a female suicide cadre of the LTTE, disguised as a pregnant woman, blew herself up in front of the military hospital inside the Colombo Army headquarters. 27 persons are injured in the explosion.

June 26: A suicide bomber kills the SLA Deputy Chief of Staff, Major General Parami Kulathunge, the third highest appointment in the SLA, and three others at Pannipitiya, a suburb of capital Colombo. Eight persons are wounded in the explosion.

August 14: At least seven persons, including four soldiers of the SLA, are killed and 17 others sustain injuries in a suicide attack carried out by the LTTE targeting Pakistan High Commissioner Bashir Wali Mohammad in the capital Colombo. The envoy, returning from the Pakistan Independence day function at the mission, escapes unhurt though his vehicle suffered minor damage.

September 1-2: The Sri Lankan military said it has sunk 12 boats of the LTTE and killed 80 of its cadres in a sea battle off the northern Jaffna peninsula in a retaliatory action as 20 LTTE boats, including five suicide boats laden with explosives, had attacked a patrol near the Kankesanturai harbour. Two Government boats are slightly damaged and two sailors are wounded.

October 16: At least 98 sailors of the navy are killed and 100 injured as suspected LTTE cadres rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a naval convoy at Digampatana in the Habarana area of Matale district.

October 18: Suspected LTTE cadres carry out a suicide mission on the Dakshina Naval Base in Galle. Troops, however, successfully repulse the attack, killing 15 LTTE cadres, while one sailor also died in the incident. Another 15 sailors and 14 civilians are injured in the clashes.

November 9: The SLN personnel foil a major LTTE attack on the civilian passenger vessel 'Green Ocean I' with 300 Jaffna bound civilians from Trincomalee in the sea off Nagarkovil destroying a flotilla of Sea-Tiger boats, including three suicide boats. "We believe more than 40 LTTE cadres were killed in the attack," told SLN spokesperson Commander D.K.P. Dasanayaka, adding, two suicide boats rammed into to two Dvora fast Attack Craft escorting ‘Green Ocean I’, destroying one and damaging the other. However, LTTE military spokesperson, Irasiah Ilanthirayan, claimed that a Sea-Tiger flotilla clashed with the SLN, killing 25 SLN soldiers, capturing four alive and destroying two Dvora Fast Attack Crafts when Sea-Tigers engaged in training activities were provoked by the SLN vessels.

November 10: The SLN destroys one weapon laden LTTE suicide craft and captured another that were sailing in the seas off Nilaveli coast in the guise of ordinary fishing boats in the Trincomalee district. At least six Sea-Tigers aboard are killed, according to the SLN. Sources confirm that one of the boats was also carrying the remains of Ariv Charles, a senior military leader attached to the Charles Anthony Brigade of the outfit, who was killed in a security forces’ retaliatory fire in the Batticaloa district a few days back. Reports also said that a LTTE cadre aboard the captured boat committed suicide by swallowing a cyanide capsule when he was taken into custody by naval troops.

December 1: A suicide attack by the LTTE targeting the Defence Secretary, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, who is also the brother of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, at Dharmapala Mawatha in Colombo injured seven army personnel and seven civilians. Two of the injured army personnel subsequently succumbed to their injuries. The suicide bomber rammed his three-wheeler into the convoy of the Defence Secretary. Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, who was en route to the Presidential Palace for an official meeting, escapes unhurt. The headless body of an unidentified person, believed to be the suicide bomber, is recovered from the incident site. At least eight vehicles, including that of the Defence Secretary, are damaged in the attack.

2007

March 16: SFs shot dead a LTTE suicide bomber in the Annakottai area of Jaffna district who made an attempt to blow up a soldier on duty.

March 24: Two persons were killed when a suspected LTTE suicide bomber blew himself up at a military check point in Jaffna. The man was killed along with the soldier who tried to search him near a Hindu temple.

March 27: The LTTE carried out a suicide attack targeting the Army main base at Chenkalady in the Batticaloa district against. Three members of the Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP), identified as Carthic, Chandru and Vicky, a 12-year-old boy Navarathnam two security force (SF) personnel were killed in the explosion. Five civilians, two Army soldiers and two Policemen were injured. According to reports, soldiers on sentry duty at a road barrier in front of the Chenkalady Army camp spotted the unusual movement of a tractor around the camp premises alerted the main road barrier as the tractor laden with explosives was fast heading towards the main entrance of the camp. The tractor with two suicide bombers crashed into the barrier but the troops immediately opened fire on the tractor. Subsequently LTTE cadres blew themselves up causing a huge explosion that covered a considerable extent of the area that housed a political office of the EPDP nearby.

May 24: A suspected LTTE suicide bomber on an explosive laden motor bicycle rammed a bus carrying army personnel on the first cross street in capital Colombo at around 9:00 am, the military said. Two soldiers were killed and five other persons sustained injuries in the attack.

October 22: Elite army troops of the Special Forces confronted LTTE cadres who infiltrated and carried out a suicide attack on the SLAF base at Anuradhapura and evicted them from the premises killing 20 militants. Nine SF personnel, including two officers, were killed and 20 others wounded in the encounter. Subsequently the LTTE carried out an aerial attack dropping two shells damaging two MI 24 helicopters parked in the hangar. One more BELL-212 helicopter that was to reinforce SLAF fighter craft resisting LTTE air movement had to crash-land at Doramadalawa area, closer to Mihintale, due to a technical fault, killing both pilots and two gunners. This was the first time the outfit had carried out a combined air and ground attack.

November 28: The EPDP leader and Minister for Social Welfare, Douglas Devananda, escaped unhurt when a polio affected woman suicide cadre of the LTTE blew herself up at his office at Isipathana road in the Narahenpita area of Colombo. While the Minister was in his office waiting to see members of the public, the woman was allowed to get into the office complex unchecked considering her disability but the PRO of the Minister conducted checking on the physically challenged woman along with others who had come to see the Minister. However, the disguised LTTE woman cadre blew herself up when the physical checking was being done by the PRO. The blast critically injured the PRO, one Ministerial aide and one officer of Ministerial Security Division, who succumbed to his injuries later.

2008

January 31: A LTTE suicide bomber on a bicycle blew himself at Thinnaveli in the Jaffna district killing three civilians and injuring 17 others, the military said. Authorities, however, said that the explosion was premature since there was no target in the area.

February 3: At least 12 persons were killed and around 100 injured, 10 of them critically, when an LTTE female suicide militant blew herself inside the Colombo Fort Railway Station. The bomber who apparently arrived at the railway station in a train blew herself opposite the station cafeteria on platform number three at 2.10pm. The head of the suicide cadre was lying on the platform along with a cellular phone connected to a handsfree kit. "They (LTTE) would have targeted Security Forces personnel who were returning to their bases after rehearsals at the Galle Face Green," an unnamed military official said.

February 24: Two TMVP cadres were killed as a LTTE suicide cadre blew himself opposite the Kali Kovil (Temple) in the Kalawanchikudi area of Batticaloa district. The suicide cadre had apparently jumped onto the motor bike on which the two persons were traveling near Satyavilan road, some 17- kilometers from Batticaloa town.

February 29: Seven persons, including three police officers, were wounded when a suicide bomber triggered a bomb blast when police knocked on a house door during an operation targeting LTTE militants in Sri Lanka's capital Colombo. One of the injured police officers died later. Police officers were searching an area in the northern part of Colombo for LTTE militants suspected of infiltrating the capital and had just knocked on a door of a house when the blast was triggered inside, military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara said. The blast killed the bomber and wounded seven persons, he stated. One LTTE suicide jacket, six claymore mines, four hand grenades and one suicide belt were recovered by the police from Modera area of Colombo district couple of hours before the blast.

April 6: The Highway Minister and Chief Government Whip Jeyaraj Fernandopulle and 13 others were killed in a suicide attack carried out by the LTTE at a sporting event in the Weliweriya area, about 25-km north of capital Colombo, of Gampaha district. Fernandopulle was about to inaugurate a marathon when a suspected LTTE suicide bomber disguised as a marathon runner blew himself up, killing the Minister and at least 11 others, including National Athletic coach Lakshman De Alwis and Olympic marathon runner and national record holder K.A. Karunaratna. Over 90 people, including Gampaha Division Senior Superintendent of Police Hector Darmasiri, were injured in the blast.

May 11: A piece of torso of a person and diving equipment were found floating near the drowned Naval ship, A 520 (MV Invincible), in Trincomalee, suggesting the handiwork of a suicide bomber in destruction of the vessel on May 10-morning, an official said. Navy divers have recovered body parts of the suspected LTTE suicide cadre from the waters where the outfit sank a navy cargo ship in the Trincomalee harbour, Navy spokesman D K P Dassanayake said. "Our divers found parts of lower portion of the body of the suspected suicide cadre body along with diving equipment from the sea," he said, adding the identity of the suicide bomber has not been established. The Navy believes the suicide cadre had used a suicide jacket for the blast as only the lower part of the body was recovered.

May 16: Ten persons, including seven police personnel, were killed and 95 others were injured as a LTTE suicide bomber on a motorcycle laden with explosives rammed into a bus carrying police officers around 12.05 pm at the Colombo Fort. 10 other vehicles were damaged during the incident.

June 16: A suspected LTTE suicide bomber on a motorbike blew himself up in front of a Police building in Vavuniya, killing 12 police personnel, including three female Police officers and wounding 23 others, the military said,. The suicide bomber blew himself up in front of the SSP office complex in Vavuniya targeting the Police personnel leaving the SSP office for their duties at around 7:10am (SLST).

September 28: An LTTE suicide cadre on a bicycle struck his bike against a three-wheeler and blew himself up killing one civilian and injuring nine others in the Vavuniya town. Four police personnel, including three women, were about to leave the place in the three-wheeler after their duty when it was targeted by the suicide cadre injuring all inside the three-wheeler, including the driver. Two soldiers, including a female, at the nearby roadblock on the 2nd Cross Street and two civilians were also injured in the explosion. One of the injured soldiers died later.

October 6: 28 persons, including UNP NCPC Member, Maj. General Janaka Perera and his wife; UNP Anuradhapura district Manager Dr. John Pulle who was also the former Chairman of the Rajarata Bus Company and his wife Dr. Mrs. John Pulle; UNP Legal Advisor Attorney-at-law A.C.S. Hameed; NCPC UNP Member Shantha Dissanayake and UNP Provincial Council candidate Subashi Charles were killed in a LTTE carried out suicide bomb attack inside the UNP office near the Old Bus Stand in Anuradhapura. More than 86 persons sustained injuries in the blast that occurred around 8:45am (SLST) during a function held to declare open the new UNP office, military sources said. According to eyewitnesses a suicide cadre a dark and short man had reached the function and unbuttoned his shirt facing Major General Perera and the crowd instantaneously killing himself and the victims. According to investigators only the legs of the suicide cadre’s has been left after the blast. "He had used a relatively large quantity of explosives for this blast as his head was also blown off without leaving a trace about his appearance."

October 9: Agriculture Development and Agrarian Services Development Minister Maithripala Sirisena escaped an LTTE carried out suicide attack at Pirivena junction in the Boralesgamuwa area of Colombo district. A female suicide cadre blew herself targeting Minister Sirisena’s motorcade at Pirivena junction around 1.15 pm (SLST) when the Minister was returning after a Government function in the Bandaragama area. A civilian was killed and five others were injured.

October 22-23: LTTE suicide boats targeted two merchant ships carrying essential items to the civilians in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. According to the military sources, merchant ships Ruhuna and Nimalawa, were attacked off the Kankasanthurai harbour in Jaffna by three suicide boats. The Navy sailors providing security onboard the targeted vessels fired at the approaching suicide boats effectively, destroying two of them. One suicide boat, however, exploded in close proximity to the merchant ship Nimalawa considerably damaging its hull. The pro- LTTE website Sankathi on October 23 reported that two top Sea Tigers (cadres of the Sea Wing of the LTTE), identified as "Lieutenant Colonels" Elakkiya and Kuberan, were killed in the abortive suicide attempt on the merchant ship, Nimalawa, on October 22.

December 28: Eight persons were killed when a suspected LTTE suicide bomber blew himself after entering the premises of a Civil Defence Force (CDF) post at Wattala in the Colombo District. One Army officer, six CDF personnel and one civilian died while 17 others sustained injuries.

2009

January 2: A LTTE suicide bomber blew himself up killing three persons, including two Airmen, and injuring 37 others at the entrance to the Air Force camp in Slave Island in Colombo at around 5.15pm (SLST). An accomplice of the suicide bomber was arrested from the incident site.

February 4: A 13-year-old LTTE suicide bomber blew herself up after reaching the troops in a location north of Chalai injuring one soldier.

February 9: A LTTE woman suicide bomber mingling with a group of displaced civilians coming from un-cleared areas blew herself up at Sugandirapuram in the Mullaitivu District, killing 28 people and injuring more than 60 others. Among the dead were 20 SF personnel and eight civilians. 24 soldiers were among the 60 injured persons. The bomber, who had come with around 1,000 displaced civilians from un-cleared areas of Mullaitivu, blew herself up when a woman soldier tried to body check her at a checkpoint prior to being taken to a transit welfare centre.

March 2: A LTTE woman-suicide bomber blew herself up in the Vannakulam area, to the east of Elephant Pass and to the south of Vettalaikerny, when troops of the 55th Division attempted to go closer to her on suspicion.

March 10: At least 14 people were killed and 46 others, including the Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mahinda Wijesekara, were wounded when a suspected LTTE suicide bomber blew himself up, targeting a procession celebrating Eid-e-Milad (Prophet Mohammed's birthday) in the southern town of Akuressa in Matara district. This is the first suicide attack in Matara, the southernmost region and populated overwhelmingly by the majority Sinhala community. The defence ministry said the suicide bomber "had arrived at the place on a push-bike and exploded himself among the Islamic devotees going to the mosque in a procession… Among the deceased and injured were several local government representatives."

March 16: A LTTE suicide bomber, clad in Army-type uniforms as a Sergeant, blew himself up while trying to infiltrate the SFs held areas in the area west of Puthukkudiyiruppu. However, the troops escaped unhurt. The SFs later recovered the dead body of the bomber along with his T-56 weapon.

March 28: A LTTE suicide bomber blew himself targeting SFs on a search operation in the Varikottoruwa area of Vavuniya District.

March 30: SFs operating at Palamattalam in the north of Puthukkudiyiruppu captured several LTTE bunkers. At one occasion, an LTTE suicide bomber blew himself up inside the bunker while his accomplices escaped. Sources said that soldiers were unharmed in the explosion.

April 6: A woman suicide bomber of the LTTE blew herself in the Ramanathapuram area of Mullaitivu District immediately after she spotted the presence of Army troops ahead of her, reports Sri Lanka Army. The impact of the explosion injured one of the officers on duty in the area.

April 20: At least 17 civilians were killed and over 200 injured when three LTTE suicide bombers rammed into civilian gatherings and blew themselves up inside the NFZ in the Puttumatalan area between 9.00a.-1.00pm (SLST). The Defence Ministry said the militants initially fired at civilians on the causeway using heavy machine guns.

April 29: Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said troops are continuing their mission of rescuing the remaining civilians after capturing the 700 metre long and 10 feet high ditch cum earth bund in Rektavaikkal. "The LTTE had made seven suicide attempts to recapture the earth bund using three human bombs, one explosive laden truck, three motorbikes and a double cab during 24 hours ending Wednesday morning," the Brigadier said, adding, "Our troops also suffered casualties but managed to foil those suicide attempts."

May 15: An explosion in the Vellamullivaikkal area targeting the 58th Division troops at the frontal defence positions failed to inflict damages to upon the SFs as the red-coloured LTTE double cab prematurely exploded and went up in flames as it was nearing the troops in the opposite direction. At least 4-5 LTTE suicide bombers inside the double cab were reported killed in the huge explosion.

 

 

 

 

 
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