Roadside bomb kills Sri Lankan minister

A Sri Lankan government minister has been killed in a roadside bomb attack.

DM Dassanayake, the minister for nation-building, was travelling between Colombo and the island's international airport when the bomb exploded.

He was taken to hospital but died from severe head injuries.

A military spokesman said: "The minister was on his way to parliament when his white Toyota Land Cruiser vehicle was hit by a claymore mine."

The blast happened in Ja-Ela town, 12 miles north of Colombo.

One other person died and ten were wounded.

It is thought Tamil Tiger rebels are responsible for the bomb although they have not yet issued a comment.

Claymore mines are placed above the ground and can be detonated by remote control.

They are frequently used by the Tamil Tigers.

The rebel group have been blamed for a number of recent attacks, including one in April 2006 which badly injured the head of the army.

There has been heavy conflict in the north of the country after the government's announcement last week it was pulling out of a 2002 ceasefire with the Tamil Tigers.

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