On August 14, 2006, a convoy carrying the Pakistani High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Bashir Wali Mohamed, was attacked by a Claymore antipersonnel mine concealed within an auto rickshaw. The High Commissioner escaped unhurt, but seven people (including four Army commandoes) were killed and a further seventeen injured in the blast.[1]
| Attack on Pakistani Ambassador to Sri Lanka | |
|---|---|
| Date | August 14, 2006 |
| Target | Bashir Wali Mohamed |
Attack type | Bombing attack |
| Weapons | Explosives |
| Deaths | 7 |
| Injured | 14 |
| Perpetrators |  Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (alleged) |
| Motive | Unknown |
No group claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Sri Lankan government blamed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). High Commissioner Mohamed claimed that India had carried it out,[2] in order to intimidate Pakistan, which is one of the main suppliers of military equipment to the Sri Lankan government.[2] Pakistan had promised one shipload of the wherewithal every 10 days in coming months.
A Sri Lankan military spokesman said, "Definitely it's an LTTE attack to the Pakistan ambassador's car but they missed and the backup vehicle got caught." The Pakistani ambassador may be a target of the LTTE because Pakistan is a major backer of the Sri Lankan government.[3]
Several LTTE suspects were arrested following the attack.[4]
Sources edit
- ^ Rica Roy & Anisa Khan (14 August 2006). "Lanka blast: Pak envoy safe, 7 killed". NDTV.
- ^ a b Sudha Ramachandran (22 September 2006). "The Pakistani muscle behind Colombo". Asia Times. Archived from the original on 19 October 2006.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Simon Gardner (August 14, 2006). Dozens killed in Sri Lanka blast. Reuters. Archived from the original on May 5, 2008. Retrieved March 4, 2009.
- ^ http://wwwupdate.un.org/ga/sixth/63/Prot_Dipl_TEXT/2007SriLanka.pdf[permanent dead link]
- Seven killed in Colombo explosion. BBC News Online. 14 August 2006.