LTTE KILLS 15 ARMY SOLDIERS , ONE CIVILIAN DRIVER AND INJURES TWO MORE SOLDIERS BY A CLAYMORE MINE ATTACK ON A BUS
(By Walter Jayawardhana)
Los Angeles:- The terrorists of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam exploded a claymore mine targeting a Sri Lanka Army bus killing 15 soldiers, the civilian driver, and injuring two soldiers seriously.
The army said in a mid night news announcement that the bus was attacked about 10.45 at night, July 31 on Alla- kantale road close to Serunuwara in the Eastern Province where the terrorist group has stopped water to about 45,000 civilians and the government was attempting to open the closed sluice gates by military power.
.The 16 dead bodies were carried to Kantale hospital and the injured were immediately transferred to other hospitals.
The ill fated bus was carrying soldiers to Kantalai to relieve some soldiers who were engaged in the mission at Serunuwara, the army said. The army website said this was a tit-for tat attack for closing in on the closed sluice gates to release water for the aggrieved farmers at Mavil Aru.
Immediately after the blast the army started a search operation to catch the culprits.
Since recently the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam terrorists have been widely using claymore mines to attack civilian and military targets. About two months ago, the LTTE used a claymore mine at Kebithigollewa killing 65 civilians mostly women and children. This is the biggest number of soldiers they have killed by using a similar mine against a military vehicle during recent times.
The claymore mine shoots hundreds of ball bearings to one side since the other side of the plastic container of the bomb is covered with a steel plate. It shoots out hundreds of bicycle ball bearings with high powered c-4 plastic explosives at extremely high speed. Usually as in Kebithigollewa the LTTE explodes by remote control two bombs simultaneously from either side of the road when they target a vehicle, the skin of which could be easily penetrated by the steel ball bearings. Though unknown yet in this incident where the bombs were kept they usually tie the bombs on trees for more effect.
