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Sri Lankan minister dies in blast Sri Lankan minister dies in blast
(about 1 hour later)
A Sri Lankan minister, DM Dassanayake, has died in hospital after his convoy was hit by a powerful roadside blast near the capital, doctors said. A Sri Lankan government minister, DM Dassanayake, has died in hospital after a roadside bomb attack on his convoy.
The minister for nation-building was in a convoy between Colombo and the international airport when the bomb went off. Seven others were wounded. The minister for nation-building was travelling between Colombo and the island's international airport when the bomb went off.
The blast, in Ja-Ela town, 12 miles (19kms) north of Colombo, has been blamed on the Tamil Tiger rebels. One other person died and about 10 were wounded in the blast in Ja-Ela town, some 12 miles (19km) north of Colombo.
In recent months, fighting between troops and rebels has worsened. Tamil Tiger rebels have been blamed for the attack. Fighting between troops and rebels has worsened in recent months.
"He died a short while ago," news agency Reuters quoted Lalini Gurusinghe as saying. Mr Gurusinghe is deputy director of the hospital in the town of Ragama, where the minister and others injured were admitted. There has been no comment from the Tamil Tigers.
According to reports, the minister suffered severe head injuries in the attack and died while undergoing surgery.
Initial reports said Mr Dassanayake had not been seriously injured.
Shattered windowsShattered windows
Police said a Claymore mine - a landmine frequently used by Tamil Tiger rebels - was used in the attack. HIGH PROFILE KILLINGS Aug 2005: Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar shot dead in ColomboDec 2005: Pro-rebel MP Joseph Pararajasingham shot dead in Batticaloa churchJune 2006: Bomb kills third-highest army officer Maj Gen Parami KulatungaNov 2006: Pro-rebel politician Nadarajah Raviraj shot dead in ColomboNov 2007: Air raid kills SP Thamilselvan, head of rebels' political wingJan 2008 Tamil member of parliament, T Maheswaran, shot dead in ColomboJan 2008 - Rebels' intelligence chief Colonel Charles killed in fighting in the northJan 2008: DM Dassanayake, minister for nation building, killed by blast near Colombo Mr Dassanayake died while undergoing surgery for severe head wounds, according to reports from the hospital in the nearby town of Ragama where he was taken.
Local television channels broadcast footage of damage suffered by the minister's car. "The minister was on his way to parliament when his white Toyota Land Cruiser vehicle was hit by a claymore [mine]," military spokesman Brig Udaya Nanayakkara said.
The images showed shattered windows and the car's sides peppered with shrapnel. The windows of the vehicle were shattered and photos show the passenger side riddled with holes.
There has been heavy fighting in the north of the country in recent days after the government announced it was pulling out of a ceasefire with the Tamil Tigers. Claymore mines are placed above the ground. They can be detonated by remote control and the explosives can be directed. They are frequently used by the Tamil Tigers.
According to the military, 20 Tiger fighters were killed in clashes on Monday on the front line. HIGH PROFILE KILLINGS Aug 2005: Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar shot dead in ColomboDec 2005: Pro-rebel MP Joseph Pararajasingham shot dead in Batticaloa churchJune 2006: Bomb kills third-highest army officer Maj Gen Parami KulatungaNov 2006: Pro-rebel politician Nadarajah Raviraj shot dead in ColomboNov 2007: Air raid kills SP Thamilselvan, head of rebels' political wingJan 2008 Tamil member of parliament, T Maheswaran, shot dead in ColomboJan 2008 - Rebels' intelligence chief Colonel Charles killed in fighting in the northJan 2008: DM Dassanayake, minister for nation building, killed by blast near Colombo class="" href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=4021&edition=1"> Is all-out war inevitable?
Several soldiers were also wounded. Police sealed off the scene of the attack.
Sri Lanka's government has given formal notice it will pull out of the 2002 ceasefire agreement with the Tigers on 16 January. The Tigers have been blamed for a number of assassinations and attempted assassinations in recent years, including one in April, 2006 that badly injured the head of the army. Two months later they killed the third most senior army officer.
Hardliners in the government and military are confident that the Tigers can be defeated. A year earlier suspicion for the killing of foreign minister Lakshman Kadirgamar fell on the Tigers.
There has been heavy fighting in the north of the country after the government said last week that it was pulling out of a 2002 ceasefire with the Tamil Tigers.
Hard-liners in the government and military are confident that the Tigers can be defeated.
The Norwegian-brokered ceasefire began breaking down two years ago, resulting in renewed fighting that has killed more than 5,000 people.The Norwegian-brokered ceasefire began breaking down two years ago, resulting in renewed fighting that has killed more than 5,000 people.
The military regularly say they are inflicting significant casualties on the Tigers in fighting in the north.
Last year they drove the Tigers from strongholds in the east of the island.
An air raid in November killed the head of the Tigers' political wing, SP Thamilselvan.
The Tamil Tigers started air attacks on the military last year.
In December the government released CCTV footage showing a Tamil Tiger suicide attacker blowing herself up in what was believed to be an attempt on the life of a cabinet minister, Douglas Devananda.
At least 70,000 people have died since the conflict began in 1983.At least 70,000 people have died since the conflict began in 1983.