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O 161301Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4490
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RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 3339
RUEHSM/AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM 0402
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RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 6958
RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI 4799

UNCLAS COLOMBO 001705 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PTER PHUM PREF MOPS CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA SITREP: LTTE TRUCK BOMB KILLS OVER 60 
SAILORS 
 
REF: COLOMBO 1692 AND PREVIOUS 
 
¶1. (U) A Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) truck bomb 
exploded outside of the north-central town of Habarana on 
October 16, targeting a Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) convoy 
transporting over 150 sailors from Trincomalee.  Radio news 
reported as many as 67 died and 150 sailors were injured when 
the bomb engulfed five buses.  Later, a high ranking 
Government of Sri Lanka (GSL) military source told us he 
thought the death toll would reach 95. 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  Habarana is 87 kilometers from Trincomalee, well 
into predominantly Sinhalese territory.  A police source told 
RSO that military convoys regularly stop at restaurants in 
the area after passing through the LTTE-infiltrated eastern 
province, where they are more mindful of their security. 
According to our military source, the truck drove into a 
marshaling yard where sailors gather to get on transport. 
The attack caught most of the victims lining up to catch 
their buses.  Samarasinghe told independent radio news that 
90 sailors had been trapped inside the burning buses, and 
that civilians may have been among the victims. 
 
¶3.  (U) Some commentators believe the LTTE may have 
anticipated the October 16 Sri Lankan Supreme Court verdict 
(septel) declaring the 1988 merger of the northern and 
eastern provinces  null and void -- effectively separating 
the LTTE's desired homeland into two provinces. 
 
¶4.  (U) It is also possible that the LTTE exploded the truck 
bomb in retaliation for the SLN sinking of a "Sea Tiger" 
supply ship on Sunday, October 15.  The Sri Lankan Navy 
reported destroying an LTTE trawler loaded with arms off the 
northwestern coast of Mannar, 136 miles north of Colombo, 
after the boat's occupants returned warning fire.  A military 
official told the Associated Press: "Considering the 
explosion that occurred on the trawler, we believe that it 
was transporting a large quantity of explosives and arms." 
 
¶5. (U) Deputy military spokesman Major Upali Rajapaksa 
confirmed to pol FSN that a Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) kfir 
jet crashed into the Negombo Bay north of Colombo shortly 
after take off late afternoon October 16.  The pilot 
successfully ejected before the aircraft went down.  Major 
Rajapaksa said there was no indication of an attack on the 
jet. 
 
¶5. (SBU) COMMENT:  The Tigers have not employed a truck bomb 
since 1996, when they attacked the Central Bank in Colombo. 
Should the death toll reach 95 as our source predicts, this 
attack will mark the single most lethal LTTE attack since the 
2002 ceasefire.  Observers are inceasingly concerned about 
the prospects for holding peace talks on October 28-29 in 
Geneva as planned.  The demerger decision and the truck bomb 
provide both parties with a justification, if they are 
looking for one, to pull out of talks. 
MOORE