Sri Lanka's government says it will impose new security measures across the country after a deadly suicide bombing in the country's south.
Government officials gave no details of their new security plans, but the media ministry Wednesday warned people to stay alert even in areas far from the northern war zone, where the military is battling the Tamil Tiger rebels blamed for the blast.
The suicide bombing at a Muslim religious ceremony on the island's southern tip Tuesday killed at least 14 people and wounded many more, including a Cabinet minister.
 |
| Sri Lankan doctors carry Minister of Posts and Telecommunications Mahinda Wijesekara to surgery after air lifting him to hospital in Colombo, 10 Mar 2009 |
Meanwhile, the military says nearly 400 civilians escaped from the conflict zone Tuesday as the fighting continued.
Aid agencies say tens of thousands of civilians remain trapped alongside the rebels on a narrow strip of land along Sri Lanka's northern coast.
The United Nations has accused the rebels of holding them as human shields, something the rebels deny.
The government has rejected international calls for a break in the fighting to allow civilians to flee.
The government says it is in the "final phase" of an operation to crush the Tamil Tigers, who have been fighting for an independent homeland since 1983.
0 comments:
Post a Comment