Sri Lanka bus bomb kills 25, military blame Tigers

At least 25 people were killed and more than 40 wounded when a suspected Tamil Tiger bomb ripped through a packed commuter bus on the outskirts of the Sri Lankan capital on Friday, the military said.

The blast, which struck the bus in a residential suburb during the evening rush hour, was the latest incident in a bloody week in Sri Lanka, where government forces and Tiger rebels are locked in a violent new chapter of a 25-year civil war.

"It's a parcel bomb of about 3kg (6 lbs) with a time device. It was placed in the middle of the bus," said an official of the bomb disposal squad, who asked not to be named.

W. Gunawardena, a doctor at the Colombo South Teaching Hospital, said earlier that 12 bodies had so far been admitted, including a child.

"I was with my mother and brother at the bus halt going back home after classes," said 14-year-old Ishani Perera at the hospital, where she was being treated for injuries to her arms.

"Suddenly I heard a loud explosion and everybody around fell down. I too fell. I can't find my mother now."

The Sri Lankan military blamed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, who are fighting for an independent state in the north and east of the island, for the attack.

"It's definitely by the LTTE, with the recent losses and battlefield defeats they are desperate," said a military spokesman, Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara.

Dozens of Tamil Tiger fighters and government troops were killed this week in heavy fighting on the Jaffna Peninsula in the far north.

Fighting between government forces and the Tigers has intensified since the government formally pulled out of a six-year-old ceasefire pact in January.

After driving the rebels out of the east, President Mahinda Rajapaksa's government has pledged to destroy them militarily.

The rebels have hit back with bombings in Colombo and elsewhere in the relatively peaceful south when they have come under military pressure in the past.
News
Young people increasingly open to faith and God, research finds
Young people increasingly open to faith and God, research finds

"The time is now. It is urgent," said lead researcher Laura Hancock.

Israeli shelling hits Gaza’s only Catholic Church, killing three and wounding 10
Israeli shelling hits Gaza’s only Catholic Church, killing three and wounding 10

In a rare move, the Israeli Foreign Ministry posted an apology on social media.

Fresh attacks on Christians in Syria after deadly church bombing
Fresh attacks on Christians in Syria after deadly church bombing

Can anyone bring peace and order in Syria?

UK government targets 10 countries to protect believers – but have they made the right choices?
UK government targets 10 countries to protect believers – but have they made the right choices?

As Christians face increasing numbers of attacks across the world, the British Foreign Office is to target 10 countries in a bid to get them to improve their record on protecting freedom of religion or belief (FoRB).