2 road bombs kill 23 on Sri Lanka buses

Jun 06,2008 00:00 by UPI

KATUBADDA, Sri Lanka -- Two roadside bus bombings -- one blamed on the rebel Tamil Tigers -- killed at least 23 people and injured more than 70 in Sri Lanka Friday, authorities said.

Bombing of the first bus came at the height of rush hour commuting at Moratuwa near the capital of Colombo, killing 21 people and injuring 64, officials said. Hours later, a second bomb, planted in the central hill country near Katugastota, killed two people and injured seven.

The Tamil Tigers were blamed for the first attack, authorities told ColomboPage News. The rebel group has stepped up attacks on civilian targets, apparently in an effort to deflect its military losses in the North.