27 people killed in suicide attack in Sri Lanka

T V Sriram

Colombo, Oct 6 (PTI) At least 27 people, including a
former key army general Janaka Perara, his wife and a number
of provincial politicians, were killed and 80 others injured
when a suspected Tamil Tiger suicide bomber Monday blew
himself up near a bus stand in Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka.

Perara, Opposition leader of North-Central provincial
council and former Chief of Staff of Sri Lankan Army, was
among the dead when the bomber blew himself up as the new
building of the United National Party (U.N.P.) was being
inaugurated, army spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara said.

The attack came at a time when the Tamil Tigers are
battling hard to save their administrative headquarters at
Killinochi from being over run by the army troops.

Perara, military sources said, was the apparent target
of the L.T.T.E. as he had led many successful campaigns
against them and was the strategist thought to be responsible
for halting rebel advance in the Jaffna peninsula in 2001.

The suicide attack came just hours after a road side
bomb killed two civilians and wounded another in a village on
the outskirts of the Buddhist town.

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

Among other victims were U.N.P. manager in
Anuradhapura Dr John Pulle and his wife.

Perera also served as the country's High Commissioner
to Australia and Ambassador to Indonesia after retiring from
the army.

Perera, who is considered as one of the most
distinguished generals in Sri Lanka, also served as the
country's High Commissioner to Australia and Ambassador to
Indonesia after retiring from the army.

Undertaking the 'Operation Kinihira' after being
appointed Commander Security Forces, Jaffna, Perera is
credited with launching an effective counter attack that
halted the L.T.T.E. advance.

He eventually succeeded in establishing the current
defence line in the Jaffna peninsula.

As a Colonel in the yesteryears, Perera took a major
role suppressing the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (J.V.P.)
insurrection of 1987-89.

He was the Provincial Commander of the North-Western
Province as well as in-charge of the special operations of the
'Operation Combine' in Colombo which led to the capture of
J.V.P. leader Rohana Wijeweera.