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| Thursday, 8 July 2004 | � |
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Devananda survives 10th assassination bid by Ranil Wijayapala A suspected woman LTTE suicide bomber assigned to assassinate Eelam People's Democratic Party leader and Minister Douglas Devananda, blew herself up at the Kollupitiya Police station yesterday morning killing four Policemen and injuring nine others. The suicide bomber was detected by the Ministerial Security Division at Devananda's Ministry, Galle Road, Colombo on suspicion as she refused a body search by two Women Police Constables at the Ministry. This was the 10th attempt on the life of Minister Devananda. The suicide bomber's body parts, including her head and limbs were seen on the floor of the Police station opposite the British High Commission and the United States Embassy and next to Temple Trees. Four Policemen including IP Ekanayake were killed while nine others - six Police officers and three civilians were injured in the explosion. According to Ministry sources, the suspected bomber claimed to be Thavarasa Jeyarani (20) from Jaffna had come to seek a job from the Minister. "I was told that a woman wanted to see me, but she was refusing to be checked by the security staff," Devananda told reporters. "Then I told my people to inform the police and that is how she was taken to the station." "I had just come out of Temple Trees when the bomb went off," Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse was quoted as saying in agency reports. "I went back to the spot. First I saw some people gathered. There was smoke, but I didn't think it was something like this." "It is a matter for serious concern; we know who the intended target was," he said. The latest suicide attack by the suspected LTTE cadres came just one day after the LTTE commemorated the 17th anniversary of their first suicide attack by 'Captain' Miller who killed himself after exploding a truck load of explosives at Nelliadi Vidyalaya, Jaffna killing 40 security forces personnel. On October 29, 2001, a suicide bomber detonated explosives strapped to his body as was questioned by police guarding then Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake in Colombo. A policeman and a civilian were also killed while 16 others were wounded. ########## No one can kill me until peace dawns -Devananda by Warnajith Sumanasekera Minister Douglas Devananda said that because of the suspicion about the nature of handwriting in the interview memo sheet handed over to investigating officers they were informed to delay her and subject her to a further check. "I observed that the Tiger woman had written it in a confused state of mind", he said. Devananda who was confident that the young woman was sent to him by the LTTE to assassinate him, stated that nobody can kill him until peace dawns in the country. Asked whether this attempt on his life could be a sequel to the EPDP leadership supporting the LTTE dissident Karuna group, the Minister said that was one of the reasons but not the main one. |
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