The Government condemns in the strongest possible terms the LTTE suicide bomb attack on the Milad-un-Nabi Muslim Festival to mark the birthday of Holy Prophet Mohammed, at Godapitiya, Akuressa, Matara this morning around 10.a.m. in which 14 persons were killed and many others injured, including a Government minister.
According to the defence sources , the LTTE terrorist has targeted the Islam devotees attending the national Milad-Un-Nabi celebration , held at the mosque. The Milad-un-Nabi , the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed is celebrated as a national festival in Sri Lanka.
Meanwhile , hospital sources say Minister Mahinda Wijesekara who was also attending the celebration has suffered injuries, in the explosion. The sources add that another 15 people with injuries have been admitted to the government hospital Matara.
The LTTE is a ruthless terrorist outfit fighting for a mono ethnic separate state for Tamils in Sri Lanka since 1983. Lead by its psychopathic chief V. Prabhakaran, the outfit has slaughtered tens of thousands of innocent civilians during its three decades of terror campaign against Sri Lankan citizens.
The LTTE has been engaged in a systematic and brutal ethnic cleansing campaign against Muslims and Sinhalese living in the North and Eastern Provinces in its fanatical attempt create an ethnically pure Tamil State in the Island nation.
Selecting of a Muslim shrine and a day sacred to Muslims, both in Sri Lanka and the world over, to carry out this attack, underscores the hatred the LTTE has towards the Muslim population of Sri Lanka, who have suffered considerably under its policies of ethnic cleansing both in the North and East of Sri Lanka. This reminds us of the LTTE’s massacre of more than 200 Muslims at worship in three Mosques at Kaththankudy and Eravur in the East, in August 1990, in its war of terrorism.
The Government remains unwaveringly committed to rid the country of the terrorist menace and bring about peace. This attack will only serve to strengthen the resolve of the Government and the security forces in this regard.
The Government urges all citizens to remain calm and unprovoked, and support the Security Forces and Police by exercising utmost vigilance as the LTTE, facing imminent annihilation, could very well resort to other similar acts of desperation.
The Government offers its condolences to the families of victims of this brutal attack and wishes speedy recovery of the injured.
Ministry of Defence
We now live in a very sad world, wherever and whenever you read or watch tv there is a vast amount of people who feel that to kill innocent people will get whatever they are fighting for, Sri Lanka is a beautiful country which we have visited for many years, the time will come when we will have to re-think our plans. We support a family and have done for many years now, they are going to loose out when we decide not to return to this very lovely country with lovely people. The answer to all these problems is to talk certainly not fight that will not get them anywhere.