Three killed in explosion in Colombo

Colombo: Three persons, including a child, were killed and seven others injured on Tuesday in a powerful car bomb explosion in Sri Lanka's capital, apparently targeting a Tamil politician who is among the wounded, police said.

A former Member of Parliament and a top aide of Douglas Devananda, the leader of the Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP), M Sivadasan, was injured in the explosion which occurred in a crowded residential area of Colombo.

Residents in the Dickman's Road area said they could see two vehicles burning after the explosion which is believed to have been aimed at the vehicle in which Sivadasan was travelling.

Hospital authorities said that seven people have been brought in with serious burn injuries.

Investigators said they suspected that the bomb may have been planted inside the vehicle.

"Possibly a magnetic type of bomb may have been used," a police official at the scene said.

The explosion follows yesterday's landmine attack by Tamil Tiger rebels killing a top police commando in the central district of Kandy.

EPDP leader Devananda has long been a top target for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) which is currently embroiled in heavy fighting against the security forces in the northeastern district of Trincomalee.

Government troops have been shelling LTTE positions in the area in a bid to wrest control of an irrigation channel that is in territory controlled by the rebels.

Efforts by peace negotiator Norway in the last few days have failed to halt the hostilities despite a truce being in force.