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Blast hits in Sri Lankan capital Sri Lanka minister survives blast
(10 minutes later)
There has been a loud explosion in the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, reports a BBC correspondent in the city. An explosion has hit a convoy of cars carrying President Mahinda Rajapakse's brother in the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, officials say.
One report says President Mahinda Rajapakse's brother, Gothabaya Rajapakse, who is also the defence secretary, has been hurt in the blast. Gothabaya Rajapakse, who is also the defence secretary, is "safe", military spokesman Brig Prasad Samarasinghe told the Associated Press news agency.
Mr Rajapakse has been taken to the hospital, the report says. A number of soldiers have been wounded in the explosion, reports say.
Military spokesman Brig Prasad Samarasinghe told the Associated Press that a suicide bomber had triggered off the blast near a convoy of vehicles. Brig Samarasinghe said that a suicide bomber had triggered off the blast near a convoy of vehicles.
He said Mr Rajapakse, who is the brother of President Mahinda Rajapakse, was in one of the cars.
"He is safe, no harm has come to him," he said.
An eyewitness told Reuters news agency that he saw a wreckage of a taxi and a pick-up truck at the blast site.
The explosion comes days after the Tamil Tiger rebels said they had "no option" but to push for an independent state.
Rebel leader Prabhakaran had said a truce with the military was "defunct" and accused the government of unleashing war on Tamils.
Correspondents say that while he did not mention re-starting the war, the threat was there in almost every sentence.
Violence has soared in Sri Lanka since late last year, with both sides accused of breaking the 2002 ceasefire.
About 65,000 people were killed in fighting before the 2002 truce was agreed.
The rebels want a homeland for minority Tamils in the north and east. They say Tamils have been discriminated against by the island's Sinhalese majority.