According to the police sources, the blast has taken place at a location close to the famous Rukmani Devi statue on the Negombo- Colombo main road. The terrorists have targeted the Minster's vehicle which was plying towards Colombo, the sources added.

The Minster and 11 others were admitted to Teaching Hospital, Ragama following the incident. Hospital sources said that five of the wounded including the minister were in critical condition. Later, Minster D.M Dassanayake and a personal body guard succumbed to injuries at the Intensive Care Unit, hospital sources said. Two other critically injured were transferred to the National hospital at Colombo, Deputy Director of Ragama Teaching hospital Dr. Lalani Gurusinghe said speaking to defence.lk.

She also said that among the wounded people undergoing treatment at the hospital, one has been taken to the operation theatre as his condition worsened. Rest of the victims are still being treated at the ICU, Dr. Lalani further added.

As Minister of Nation Building Mr. Dassanayaka was directly in charge of rehabilitation and reconstruction work in the Eastern Province that was liberated from the clutches of the separatist terrorist LTTE some months ago. He was spearheading the rehabilitation work in the East, restoring normalcy to the lives of people after more than 15 years of control by the LTTE.

Defence observers are in the view that LTTE terrorists will continue to carryout this type of cowardly attacks in the South, in order to divert the attention of the security forces from Northern battlefronts to the South. Presently, LTTE is suffering ignominious defeats at the hands the security forces that are determined to liberate the whole Northern Province. The observers highlight that this the time where all citizens must be vigilant and give their fullest corporation to the Security Forces to conduct effective counter terrorists operations.

The attack came in the wake of Chief Justice's advice to Defence Ministry to not to check civilian residencies in the night hours without a very substantial reason. Earlier, the Supreme Court ordered the government to remove all permanent roadblocks in the country saying that such security measures violate fundamental rights of the people.