Suicide Bombing Kills 10, Hurts Dozens In Sri Lankan Capital

Colombo, Sri Lanka (AHN) - At least eight police officers and two civilians were killed in a suicide attack in the capital here on Friday, the military said.

A bomber on a motorbike hit a bus carrying police personnel near the fort area of Colombo, the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported, quoting the defense ministry.

Among the 10 dead were three women police officers. A ministry official said that 86 people, including 50 civilians, also were wounded.

Panic-stricken people were seen running around after the blast, with several blood-soaked bodies lying on the ground.

Although no one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, Sri Lankan officials blamed the rebel group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Condemning the blast, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa described it as the "latest act of cowardice and brutality by the LTTE."

The rebels have been battling for an independent homeland since 1972 in an ethnic conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives.