Guerrilla Land Mine Kills 5 in Sri Lanka
A land mine set by Tamil separatist guerrillas exploded in northern Sri Lanka, killing five people and injuring seven, the National Security Ministry said.
The ministry idetified those killed in the blast Sunday as three soldiers and two civilians. It said the seven injured were all soldiers.
The explosion took place in Vavuniya, 90 miles south of the northern capital of Jaffna, the ministry said.
Tamils, who are Hindus, form about 18% of Sri Lanka’s population. They accuse the majority Sinhalese Buddhists of discrimination against them. Militant Tamils are seeking independence for the northern part of the island, where most of the Tamils live.
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