SRI LANKA: TAMIL LAWMAKER KILLED BY SUICIDE BOMBER IN COLOMBO.

Record ID: 358260

  • Title: SRI LANKA: TAMIL LAWMAKER KILLED BY SUICIDE BOMBER IN COLOMBO.
  • Date: 29th July 1999
  • Summary: COLOMBO, SRI LANKA (JULY 29, 1999) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. GV: BLAST SCENE 0.06 2. GV: CAR WRECKAGE 0.14 3. SV/GV: DAMAGED VAN AND CAR (4 SHOTS) 0.35 4. CU/ZOOM/GV: BODY AND DAMAGED CAR 0.41 5. SV: SECURITY 0.47 6. MV: PEOPLE WATCHING 0.55 7. CU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNIDENTIFIED EYE WITNESS SAYING: "There was t
  • Embargoed: 13th August 1999 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: COLOMBO, SRI LANKA
  • Country: Sri Lanka
  • Reuters ID: LVA2P4N56KNROV99S1GXZA6AXL9X
  • Story Text: A Tamil lawmaker has been killed in the Sri Lankan
    capital Colombo after a suicide bomber jumped on his car.

    Neelan Thiruchelvam of the Tamil United Liberation
    Front (TULF) died instantly, and his bodyguard and driver were
    wounded in the attack on Thursday (July 29).The lawmaker was
    known for his moderate views on Sri Lanka's ethnic crisis.

    Witnesses said two people on a motorcycle had been
    following Thiruchelvam's car and one of them threw himself at
    the vehicle in a traffic jam.Thiruchelvam died instantly and
    the second motorcycle rider escaped in the confusion.Four
    other vehicles, including one belonging to police, were badly
    damaged.

    As yet no-one has claimed responsibility for the attack.

    July is generally viewed as a critical month in Sri Lanka
    since it marks the anniversary of 1983 ethnic riots in which
    hundreds of Tamils were killed, following the slaying of 13
    Sri Lankan soldiers by rebels in the northern Jaffna
    peninsula.

    The capital, Colombo, has been a frequent scene of bombing
    attacks against politicians and public targets.

    The LTTE (Liberation Tamil Tigers of Eelam) are suspected
    of having carried out the attack.They have been fighting for
    separate Tamil minority homelands in Sri Lanka's north and
    east since 1983.Thousands of people have been killed in the
    fighting.


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