Minister and 14 others dead and 83 wounded in Weliveriya blast

Minority leader, prominent member of of the Government's peace delegation, Chief Government Whip and one of the most heavily guarded Ministers of the Sri Lanka Cabinet, Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle was assassinated along with 13 others at Weliveriya public grounds in Gampaha this morning. The Minister was at the top of the LTTE assassination list for many years. It was only yesterday that the Minister vowed to defeat terrorist and to hold democratic elections in the North.

A powerful explosion, thought to be triggered by a suicide bomber killed Minister Fernandopulle, one of President Rajapakse's confidantes and also claimed the lives a top Sri Lankan coach and the a famous marathon runner formerly from the Sri Lanka Army- K.A. Karunaratne or 'Marathon Karu'.

The incident occurred after Minister Fernandopulle, a powerful Minister who can speak four different languages fluently, arrived late for a Marathon Event at Weliveriya public grounds. He was scheduled to arrive at 6.30am but arrived only at 7.30am.

He finished addressing the sports enthusiasts at 7.30am and prepared to wave the flag declaring the commencement of the marathon. Only the words Ready and Set were to be uttered. Instead of the word GO, a large explosion was head, which blew the Minister and other civilians huddled together to pieces.

Highly confidential sources told DefenceWire that only the Minister's head and two arms have survived the blast in tact. Minister Fernandopulle, a devoted Roman Catholic who often made pilgrimages to the Our Lady of Madhu Church was killed on the eve of the Army's eventual capture of Madhu. The current death toll stands at 15 dead (including Minister and suicide bomber) and 83 wounded.

Defence experts told this site that the nature of the explosion indicates that the bomb was very powerful. The bomber's face is unrecognizable to the point that his/her gender cannot be figured out, although it is considered to have been a male bomber disguised as a marathon runner. How he came to conceal and detonate such a powerful device in the guise of a marathon runner is still a mystery.