Hunt for LTTE teenager in June 14 blast

COLOMBO, JUNE 17. The police in the Sri Lankan capital has sounded an alert for the suspected involvement of a teenage LTTE cadre in this week's suicide bombing incident in which an alleged Sinhalese bomb carrier blew himself before a bus carrying 50 wounded air force personnel.

Three persons, including the suicide bomber, were killed and seven others injured in the blast at Wattala near the capital.

The Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Daya Jayasundara, who had earlier said an unemployed Sinhalese carpenter, Yakkage Padmasiri Mendis, was behind the June 14 blast, told the official media today that investigations pointed out that Mendis was hired by a teenage LTTE suspect from the area.

The state-run Daily News quoted him as saying that Mendis, a heroin addict and gambler, was allegedly forced to become the bomb carrier.

The teenage suspect was described by the police as the son of a resident of Wattala. The alert about the teenage suspect has gone to all the police stations, he said. His name and identity, however, have not been disclosed to the press.

It was still not clear whether the bomb, being carried by Mendis on his bicycle was meant to destroy the bus carrying airforce personnel or he was asked to transport explosives to somewhere else, the DIG said.

In another development, a Government official said today that the Sri Lankan air force bombed a camp of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam at Kokkatti in eastern Trincomalee, killing seven militants and injuring 20 others.

The assault, which began on Wednesday, also killed the LTTE leader, Vengades, the official said.

In northern Jaffna, soldiers killed a terrorist at Colombuthurai last evening.

- PTI, UNI

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