This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/south_asia/7392571.stm
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 0 | Version 1 |
---|---|
Blast on eve of Sri Lanka polls | |
(10 minutes later) | |
At least 12 people have been killed in an explosion on the eve of elections in eastern Sri Lanka, officials say. | |
More than 20 others were wounded in the blast in a cafe in the town of Ampara, 220km (130 miles) from Colombo. It is not yet clear what caused the blast. | |
Security is tight in the east of the island, a day before the region's first provincial elections in 20 years. | |
Fighting between troops and Tamil Tiger rebels has worsened this year after the government pulled out of a truce. | Fighting between troops and Tamil Tiger rebels has worsened this year after the government pulled out of a truce. |
The director of Ampara national hospital, Dr Lankathilake Jayasinghe, told the BBC's Sinhala Service that 12 people had been killed and 24 were injured in the blast. | |
Military spokesman Brig Udaya Nanayakkara told the BBC that the explosion occurred at a small restaurant called the City Cafe hotel. |