A schoolgirl was killed by a car bomb in northwestern Sri Lanka that also wounded 12 others Friday, mostly students who were about to travel in the vehicle, officials said.
It was the first major bomb blast in the country since government troops crushed the Tamil Tiger rebels in May after a 25-year insurgency.
A 12-year-old girl died a few hours after she was hospitalized, said Dr. Soma Rajamanthri of Kurunegala Teaching Hospital.
Military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara said a private dispute is suspected to be behind the blast.
He said the bomb had been set up to explode when the engine was started Friday morning near the town of Kurunegala. He said an investigation is continuing.
Rajamanthri said the wounded included seven schoolchildren, aged mostly from 7 to 11.
She said others wounded were the driver, parents who were dropping off their children, and a nine-month-old baby.
The rebels, who sought an independent state for minority Tamils, had frequently targeted public transport killing and wounded hosts of civilians. Between 80,000 to 100,000 people were killed in Sri Lanka's civil war.
Source: AP News
