According to military officials the Tamil Tiger rebels are to blame for the deadly bus blast that killed 20 in Sri Lanka. Photo by BBC
A bomb detonated Saturday aboard a civilian bus in the Sri Lankan tourist town of Dambulla, killing 20 people and wounding at least 50 others, some of them critically.
The blast took place after the bus stopped at a station on its way from the central town of Kandy to the north-central town of Anuradhapura, BBC reported.
The attack comes amid increased security ahead of celebrations on Monday to mark the 60th anniversary of Sri Lanka's independence from Britain and according to military officials the Tamil Tiger rebels are to blame for the blast.
Violence increased on the island since the government announced its intentions to withdraw from a 2002 cease-fire a month ago.
About 65,000 people have died in the brutal civil war, in which the two sides have engaged since 1983.
The Tamil Tigers demand independence for the Tamil minority in the north and east of the island, located south of India.