At least 45 people were injured when a small bomb exploded in a busy market area in Sri Lankan capital
The time bomb placed underneath a makeshift shelter of a watch repair shop along the pavement facing Olcott Mawatha in the Pettah, the main commercial hub of the capital, a short distance away from the main bus station and the railway terminal, exploded around
At the scene, there was little evidence of a large explosion, but small items sold in wooden stands in the market were strewn onto the street and some blood spattered the pavement. The bomb exploded close to two busy bus stops, a news report from Reuters said.
Dr. Anil Jansinghe, a director at
"We received 45 people injured in the blast," Jansinghe, said.
"There are four women and two children among the wounded. Only two or three need surgery, others have light to moderate injuries,"
The Sri Lankan military as always blamed the LTTE even before any investigation was carried out.
"This was definitely the LTTE. They are desperate and taking civilian targets since they are being defeated on the northern battlefront," Military spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara said.
According to local media, an explosive expert who investigated Pettah bomb, cast doubts as to whether it was in fact the work of the LTTE citing the weight of explosive device – just around 100 grams – and the way it was placed.
Following the bomb, about 30 Tamil civilians were taken in for questioning by the Sri Lankan police
Three police teams have been deployed to conduct intensive investigation into the blast, police said.
Many of them being questioned by the Terrorist Intelligence Division (TID) were Tamils who stayed in lodges in the area.