Confusion over school bus blast

LTTE alleges claymore attack near Madhu church kills 18 including 11 school children travelling in bus; Military spokesman denies; Security beefed up in Colombo

By Munza Mushtaq, Ayesha Wijeratne and Kushali Atukorale
Confusion reigned last night over the alleged blast of a claymore mine by special troops in LTTE controlled area, killing 18, including 11 children travelling in a bus, which the military denied of any involvement.

However, the government is looking at enforcing special military protection to schools in and around Colombo, as a security measure, if hostilities between security forces and the LTTE takes a turn for the worse, sources claimed yesterday.

The bus hit by claymore mine (Courtesy of TamilNet)

The move comes consequent to a claymore attack yesterday in Mannar which killed 18 civilians, including 11 school children.

The LTTE Peace Secretariat in a statement soon after the incident, charged that the military’s Deep Penetration Unit had ambushed a bus returning with students and teachers who had been to their school after participating in a sporting event.

According to church sources, the incident had taken place about one kilometre way from the famous Madhu shrine on the Madhu-Thadsanamaruthamanu Road, an LTTE controlled area.

“Eighteen people, including eleven children travelling in a school bus, were killed and a further 17 children and teachers were injured in the claymore attack,” the LTTE charged. One of the teachers killed was a catholic nun. The school principal, who had also been in the bus, had died in the incident. Hospital sources too confirmed the casualties. However, Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara denied any military involvement in the incident.

He told The Bottom Line that, “this is an area under the LTTE, and the Army usually does not carry out any operations there, so the LTTE must take responsibility for the incident.

Meanwhile, highly placed government sources told The Bottom Line last night, that the incident was the work of the LTTE, who are now purposely blaming the attack on the Military, so that they (LTTE) can launch attacks on civilian establishments in Colombo and later justify their acts as being tit-for-tat. 

Sources also said that discussions were under way to introduce stringent plans towards the protection of the city and also schools, amidst heightened tensions of an LTTE attack on or near a school. 

While noting that closing down schools was not a ‘practical’ measure, the government was likely to introduce a strict security arrangement to all schools in all major cities in the country.

Most government schools have already begun checking bags of children and other visitors.

When The Bottom Line contacted Minister of Education Susil Premajayantha, he said he was unable to speak and requested the journalist to call back today morning.