At least 28 people including 20 army personnel were killed and more than 64 injured when a suspected LTTE suicide cadre blew herself up outside a military check-point in the north-eastern district of Mullaitivu on Monday.
Among the dead were eight displaced Tamil civilians who were apparently attempting to crossover to government-controlled area from rebel-held territory.
Initial reports said that an officer and two civilians were among the dead. Many women and children were among the injured, the defence ministry claimed.
Sources told HT that suicide bomber specifically targeted military personnel manning the check-point set up recently to facilitate displaced civilians to cross over to areas under government control.
“The check-point was set up to act as an access point for displaced civilians to move out of LTTE area,” sources said.
The displaced would then be taken to a refugee camp for the internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the neighbouring area of Dharamapuram.
The check-point is manned by the personnel from the 58 Division, which took part in wresting LTTE's political capital, Kilinochchi in early January.