An Explosion has been reported in Anuradhapura. According to available information the blast has occurred near the old bus stand.
Several being have been admitted to the Anuradhapura hospital due to injuries received in the blast.
Update: According to unconfirmed reports, more than 50 people have been injured. The explosion has occurred during the ceremonial opening of new United National Party (UNP) office in Anuradhapura. Opposition leader for North Central provincial council, Major Gen. Janaka Perera was attending the event according to informed sources.
This is why the LTTE s named a terrorist organization by the world. Though it can be expected, its always a sad situation when civilians outside combat areas are targetted.
ReplyDeleteFolks our sources say Major. Gen Janaka Perera has been killed in the incident.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a suicide blast
ReplyDeleteI hope that Gen. Perera is safe. Regardless of his recent stances, he was one hell of a soldier. Our forces could have been oou of Jaffna if it was not for him.
ReplyDeleteshame on u blood thirst barbarians ....
ReplyDeleteattacking civiliance is a .......
I have no words....
If it is a ceremony, then a video of the blast should be available ..??
ReplyDeletesam perera,
ReplyDeleteHe has been killed
Mr & Mrs Janaka Perera killed..
ReplyDeleteI wonder what those who are lobbying to release the LTTE cadre Nalini who helped assassinate Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Ghandhi, will say about this?
ReplyDeleteThis is very depressing. Geeze, why couldnt we protect Gen. Perera, let alone other civilians. This should strengthen our resolve to finish the war sooner. May he attain Nirvana!!
ReplyDeletethe good general went on TV complaining that he wasn't given enough security since he was serving the UNP. I hope the situation was rectified and this didn't happen to inadequate security...
ReplyDeleteIf he was killed cos we didn't give him enough cover...that's just absolutely pathetic...
He was a great soldier, a man who served his country in battlefields with his life on the line and if we failed to protect him due to petty political issues we all should be ashamed of ourselves
May this GREAT Soldier attain Nibbana .
ReplyDeleteUNP at least should stop their Pro LTTE stance now . We should completely eliminate this LTTE mess now . Now or Never !!
This is very depressing. I would like to remember a few things he did to help our country as a soldier. He saved many generations from JVP madness in late 80s and then save us from Jaffna in 2000. MOD, irrespective of our personal political affiliations, such greeat men should be protected at any cost. That is our national duty tom return the favor they did to the nation and we have utterly failed here with Gen Perera. Shame on us.
ReplyDeleteThis is really a sad situation as far as Sri Lankan military concern.
ReplyDeleteWith this attack LTTE tells they will kill Ltn Gen. Sarath Fonseka, Major Gen. Jagath Dias, etc. etc. even six years later when the Government is changed. How can we protect these Heroes in future if the UNP is in power??????
We should have given enough security to the Major. Gen Janaka Perera.
This is saddening. Why did he have to go this way?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ranil. This incident will result lot of chaos. LTTE has taken an easiest of targets. But the consequences would be many.
An end of another Patrioit with high valour. If these stupid so called "Tigers" think that this can be won by killing great men like Mr. Perera, soon they will know that they are dead wrong. We have waves of patritot sons and daughters in line to take positions and they're going to be one hell of a nightmare for "Prabha and the mad gang". Just think about the Mechanized Infantry Unit, Special Boat Squadron, the Uni Buffel and the Arrow in-shore patrol boat. This is the begining of a new Lion Era.
ReplyDeleteThe instinct of a terrorist is to kill whoever they think their enemy at any given moment. It could be now, in 1 years time or even after 10 years.
ReplyDeleteJanaka perera did a great job serving Sri Lankan forces for many years. He's been in the LTTE hit list.
But nobody thought LTTE will try to get him now, as he's retired, was working for UNP and attacked MR and SF for some reasons as well.
As LTTE is losing big grounds to SLDF they needed a big target to get the propaganda up! At least to make some fuzz!
Since colombo VVIP targets likely to be highly inaccurate, they looked for a person with less attention (security comparing to other VIPs) + big fuzz if killed!
So they succeeded this time.
The best return for this would be to strengthen up the offensives and stick to the wanni liberation plan.
It would be a tribute for Janaka as in his times he tried to liberate Sri Lanka as much as he could. Now its our time to finish the job!
Mr.Janaka would have loved to see the end of the reign of LTTE, but he was not lucky enough. But for sure he may be watching all from "up above"
ReplyDeleteSoon (no idea about the exact timeline) LTTE will be left with no land to claim theirs, but isolated killings of this nature will continue for sometime to come as it would be in any other country reviving from years of terrorism. Patience and hardwork is the best option as I feel.
My deepest sympathies to the members of the Family of the Late General Janaka Perera, and the families of all those perons who were the victims of terrorism. It is sad and most regrettable that the General Janaka Perera had been another victim of the terrorists. General Janaka Perera, was a National Hero the Nation was proud of, it is a great loss we will live to regret. Major General Janaka Perera proved the bete noire of the Tigers in the battlefront. He was also a guiding force, along with Lt. Gen Sarath Fonseka, that helped the Forces to wrest control of Jaffna and save the beleaguered troops trapped in the peninsula. The killing of the battlefield warrior, Major General Janaka Perera who led his men from the front would redouble the efforts of the Forces to attain their final goal. This would be the tribute to true brave patriotic Late Major General Janaka Perera
ReplyDeleteAn illustrious military career however denied Major General Janaka Perera the position of Army Commander and instead he had to make good of diplomatic positions in Australia and Indonesia where he continued to exert pressure on LTTE's domain internationally. . He worked tirelessly as a diplomat to dismantle international structures of the Tigers. Patriots who crept in to the UNP which serves as a death trap of patriots, never returned. History repeated itself in the cruelest manner for another brave heart of Sri Lanka. Major General General Janaka Perera was killed by a suicide bomber at a political event. Major General Janaka Perera was a brave soldier who fought fearlessly for Sri Lanka, but, he sided with the wrong political crowd. Major General Janaka Perera’s new friends were traitors and he gave in to their plans on a number of occasions. His spiteful allegations against the Defence Secretary, the President, the Army Commander and even against military victories were despicable to say the least. His mistake was too obvious. Patriots around the world knew from the start what was cooking for him in UNP quarters. He simply didn't fit in. The soldier who rarely lost a battle lost the election; it was a massive defeat. Unbeknown to him, masters of his party had decided his fate. He was to be disposed as Major General Lakshman Algama was disposed in 1999. The much talked about new office complex of the UNP which was built in place of the old one that was destroyed by vandals was declared opened by a number of regional UNP stalwarts. Strangely there were no high ranking officials of the party; not even an MP! This is too similar to what happened in Ja-ela on 18th December 1999. It was the assassination of another brave military officer who took to politics following his retirement from the army. The LTTE target at that time was Major General Lakshman Algama who was killed while addressing an election rally in Wattala in support of UNP presidential candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe on the last night of campaigning for the 1999 Presidential Election. Major General Lakshman Algama was one of the most popular war-hero, was misled by the UNP leadreship as he came forward to save the UNP leadership from the internal power struggle.. The bomb blast took place carefully avoiding the UNP top brass.
The LTTE targeted Major General Lakshman Algama on the same night that an attempt was made on the life of President Chandrika Kumartunga at Town Hall. The LTTE tactic was to create uncertainty and confusion in the country at that time while taking revenge on a military officer dreaded by the LTTE. Like Janaka Perera, Lakshman Algama too took to politics from the UNP and was tipped to hold an important position in a subsequent UNP government.
The biggest loss of the killing of Janaka Perera is for the main opposition UNP. He was about to emerge as a frontline leader of the party having an appeal among the nationalist and conservative base of the UNP. He could have helped the UNP to rebuild itself and regain a certain vote base that is veering away from the party at the moment. Knowing the real capacity of the LTTE Janaka Perera too believed that the LTTE could be militarily defeated. The killing of Janaka Perera is a blow to the UNP especially at a time the party desperately needs leaders of his ilk to stand up to the growing popularity of the Rajapaksa regime due to the successful execution of the war against the LTTE. Janaka Perera too joins the long list of UNP politicians whose lives have been violently taken away by the LTTE in the past.
Having suffered defeat after defeat with the army successfully moving forward in the Wanni, the killing of Janaka Perera seems to be a desperate attempt of the LTTE to take advantage of the political differences existing in the country. Also the LTTE desperately needs to make its presence felt to divert the attention from its military defeats.
The LTTE also seem to fear former military officers who take to politics and take charge of the military administration. This fear is justified given the strong backing provided by the present Defence Ministry Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa who himself was a military officer, to the successful military campaign against the Tigers. Both Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and Army Commander Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka survived LTTE suicide attacks. The LTTE has taken revenge on military officers who have successfully fought them. Denzil Kobbekaduwa, Wijaya Wimalaratne and Lakshman Algama are some of them. Now Janaka Perera too joins the list.
However, Late General Janaka Perera should have sensed the inappropriateness of the UNP which is today made up of political nobodies, traitors, turncoats and the like. It is the same party that houses the likes of the WPF leader who admitted to keeping LTTE operatives in his house during the ceasefire period. In addition he has been a strong and open proponent of the LTTE. The there is the SLMC leader who was repeatedly rejected by his constituents and has an active MoU with the LTTE signed in 2002. This party is further infested with the likes of one medical practitioner who used to habitually pay homage at LTTE cemeteries. A senior member of parliament from the other camp also joined the UNP recently. He has been known to have a soft corner for the LTTE and he had turned many acts of treason committed by senior UNP members into mockeries. Another recently appointed MP has criticized the army commander for making a factual statement. His allegation was all too similar to the type coming from the LTTE camp. Nobody can forget the hilarious statement made by a very senior UNPer that any ass can fight; clearly dispersing the warrior within the party! Most patriotic members have already left the UNP and those who hold high positions within the party are baptized by the separatists. All this are in addition to its leader who mislead the nation with a surrender agreement with the LTTE which he depicted as peace. There is no way a seasoned soldier could have missed these vital signs.
LTTE separated out the UNP which was the main political force at that time to be its southern counterpart. It eliminated Lalith Athulathmudali and Premadasa in rapid succession. This happened within nine months of killing a number of gallant soldiers at Araly in the Jaffna peninsula. After the assassination of Premadasa in 1993 by the LTTE, UNP became a lame duck headed by timid yet strong-willed supporters and sympathizers of the LTTE cause. Within another 18 months it bumped-off the remaining patriots it had including Gamini Dissanayake, Gamini Premachandra and Oswin Abeygunasekera. Thereafter the UNP was dancing to the tune of the LTTE until General Lakshman Algama joined forces in 1999. He was swiftly eliminated, however, after he was used to the most to derive maximum political mileage. Then the UNP refused to blame the LTTE and instead blamed the government. In 2008 T Maheswaran was killed by the LTTE. Yet again the UNP couldn't sum up enough courage to blame the LTTE. LTTE trims the UNP which it considers to be its backyard. There were bigger political giants than Janaka Perera who tried to change the cause of the UNP in vain. It should not surprise anybody if the UNP once against starts screaming about alleged human rights violations. It stopped this hue and cry after inducting the General a few months back.
On the other hand senior UNP leaders are under no Tiger threat. Not even a single attempt was made to harm them!
This is a cruel awakening by the LTTE to other patriots. It has started eliminating patriotic military and political leaders of this country. It has started from the easiest. Leaders of this country must be fully aware of this heightened LTTE threat to their lives. If they believe the military campaign will soon eliminate the LTTE, they should stay away from public places until such time. The LTTE supremo has outlived ten Sri Lankan administrations and is determined to outlive the present one as well. He should be eradicated soon.
Dangerous times are ahead as the final battle for the terror capital heats up. LTTE will viciously struggle like a drowning man; it will not hesitate to do anything that in its belief would put it off the hook. It is the duty of every Sri Lankan to support the present war effort wholeheartedly; there may not be another chance.
His entry into politics was viewed in different angles by the two main political parties but what we can comfortably assure ourselves was that Late General Janaka Perera was not one to tarnish the image of the military nor was he ever willing to cease the ability to militarily crush the LTTE. This was the balance that linked the two parties and it was this link that could have been a unifier in the long term especially with the LTTE now being cornered. But Late General Janaka Perera has been nullified and it is for this reason we should stand shocked.
The UNP never learns a lesson after so many people have been killed by the LTTE. The latest is Major General Janaka Prerea. As usual, the UNP is blaming the government. They never blame the LTTE terrorists for any crime it has committed. The UNP leadership is afraid of losing Tamil support in the future elections. It is hard to understand this unprincipled conduct of the UNP leadership despite so much death and destruction in the country. They never supported the armed forces to eliminate terrorists hoping that the LTTE will pay back its gratitude to the UNP with a block of Tamil votes. Is it possible for them to work together with the government to eliminate this scourge of terrorism for the last time? No, they cannot because they are profoundly greedy for power. Until the party gets an enlightened leader, who can gauge the pulse of the nation, the UNP has no future.
LTTE terrorists have no permanent friends. They will kill anyone if it suits their agenda. The UNP is running after a mirage hoping that the party’s covert “sympathy” for the LTTE terrorists will bear fruits, which will not happen. In the mean time, Ranil Wickremasinghe, Tissa Attanayake, Jayalath Jayawardane will continue to sacrifice unsuspecting and ambitious UNP supporters to the bloodthirsty murderer to save the party leader from internal rebellions.
When armed forces captured Thoppigala, UNP leadership said they have captured a useless jungle, and went on to challenge the government and the armed forces to go and capture Kilinochchi if possible. Today armed forces are in the vicinity of Kilinochchi. UNP has no vision now. UNP leadership is becoming a cancer not only to the party but also to the entire country as he has tried to survive politically using a war hero, who is an all time target of LTTE. In recent weeks our brave soldiers have been marching forward to remove the LTTE cancer from our country, and the masses is praying at temples for their lives. Has anyone heard a single word of encouragements from the UNP leadership other than constant criticisms and insults? It is high time that a patriotic man or a woman must come forward and take the leadership of this good old political party for the sake of our motherland.
Party differences must not surface to acknowledge the fete that Late General Janaka Perera has accomplished through over 30 years in the battlefield. If there are some who think that the LTTE was not responsible for the killing then they should substantiate this claim with hard evidence. The country's leaders have been through 30 years of terrorist terror being struck down leaving those lucky to survive very much at risk. It would have been desirable that his security was beefed up purely on the grounds that we must show appreciation for the achievements of the late General - but we all know what a human bomb is capable of doing.
While we all accept the deaths with shock wherein many civilians fell victim to another terrorist attempt is it not another call that the nation comes together instead of joining the blaming game to eradicate terrorist activity in Sri Lanka once and for all?
At the present moment it would be wise to stop gatherings of this nature with the VIPs, as the desperate terrorists will go to any extent to cause damage to the Nation. All functions of what ever nature or what ever numbers of persons present should be carefully verified before the arrival of the VIPs. The security personnel should be "doubly" vigilant and to have those special metal detectors to pass around the bodies of all persons entering in to the premises. Also there should be one entrance to such functions all other entrances being closed, and placed under vigilance of Security personnel.