Suicide attack kills 22 in Sri Lanka

At least 22 people, including the opposition leader of Sri Lanka's North-Central provincial council Maj General Janaka Perera, were killed and 35 others injured when a suspected LTTE suicide bomber blew himself up near a bus stand in the Buddhist city of Anuradhapura on Monday.

"At least 22 people were killed in the bomb attack, which has been carried out by a suspected LTTE suicide bomber in Anuradhapura," army spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara said.

It is believed that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam specifically targeted Perera who has launched many operations against the Tamil Tigers while serving in the army.

Perera's wife and a few councillors of the main Opposition United National Party were also among those killed when the bomb went off near the party office close to the old bus stand in Anuradhapura, about 212 km north of Colombo, at around 8.45 am on Monday morning, sources said.

UNP manager in Anuradhapura Dr John Pulle and his wife also lost their lives in the bomb attack.

"The bomb blast occurred around 8.45 am in a function held to declare open the new UNP office in Anuradhapura," the sources said.