The National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL) condemns
the brutal terrorist attack on a civilian bus which killed more than 64 persons,
including many children. We consider this a heinous crime perpetrated on the
innocent civilians of Kebethigollawa.

NCEASL is deeply concerned about the increase in incidents of violence and
brutal attacks, especially on civilian targets in Sri Lanka.

The NCEASL calls for an end to the senseless violence and the suffering caused
to all communities of Sri Lankan citizens and calls upon both the Sri Lankan
Government and the LTTE for the immediate resumption of negotiations to bring
peace to this nation.

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News Release

Kebitigollawa Claymore mine attack

On the 15th of June 2006 a Claymore mine attack on a civilian bus left 64
Sinhalese civilians including women and children dead. Kebethigollawa is a
village 270 km from Colombo in the Anuradhapura District.

The dead included women taking infants and children to medical clinics,
students going to sit the GCE Advanced Level examination (12th grade exam), as
well as many mourners who were proceeding to attend a funeral.

This is the latest of massacres in the last two decades of violent conflict between
the Government and the LTTE, and the highest number of civilian casualties
since the LTTE bomb attack on a passenger train in Dehiwela, Colombo in 1998.