Sri Lanka bombs rebels but vows peace

A Sri Lankan government soldier patrols a sea-front promenade yesterday in Colombo after security was stepped up across Sri Lanka following a suspected Tamil Tiger Claymore mine attack that killed 64 civilian bus passengers a day before.President Mahinda Rajapakse vowed that the attack will not be allowed to derail the faltering peace process. PHOTO: AFP

President Mahinda Rajapakse insited the Norwegian-brokered process would not be allowed to collapse following Thursday's Claymore mine attack on the bus, the deadliest against civilians here in 10 years.

"We will not allow incidents like this to scuttle the peace process," the president told survivors and relatives of bus massacre victims on Thursday, an official in his office said.

The government blamed the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for the carnage, but the guerrillas denied involvement.

"We will not allow this type of barbaric terrorist attack to happen again," the president said. "We must resolve the conflict peacefully. No one can resolve problems through this type of violence."

Rajapakse ordered security to be boosted in the remote Kebitigollewa area where an overcrowded bus was hit with the mine blast.

Despite the peace vow, at first light Friday jets resumed retaliatory attacks against suspected Tiger positions.

"The airforce carried out two bombing sorties over Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu," a military source here said, referring to two northern areas held by the Tigers.

"The identified targets of the LTTE are being taken this morning," he said.

The military said there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

The pro-rebel Tamilnet website said an aerial attack in the district of Mullaitivu on Thursday was near a tsunami refugee camp, but that there were no casualties.

"At least six bombs were dropped near the refugee camp," Tamilnet said. "Two of the bombs did not explode."

It said people had "escaped injuries from the indiscriminate bombing from a high altitude by supersonic jets."

However, it reported at least one four-metre deep crater.

The renewed air attacks came as government officials began handing over the bodies of Thursday's blast, whose victims included 15 children, to their families.

A mass funeral was to take place in the north central district of Anuradhapura, 200 kilometres from the capital Colombo on Saturday, but some of the victims were being buried Friday.

International condemnation of the massacre mounted.