Colombo: Observing that Wednesday's (Jul 7, 2004) suicide bombing in the Sri Lankan capital had the hallmarks of the rebels, the United States today (Jul 8, 2004) asked Tamil Tiger rebels to give up "terrorism".

"Although no one has claimed responsibility for the bombing, the incident bears the hallmarks of an LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) attack," the US embassy said in a statement issued in Colombo.

"The US has consistently called on the Tigers to renounce terrorism and cease terrorist acts, including political assassinations, and to comply with the terms of the ceasefire agreement that they signed," the embassy said.

The suicide attack at a police station opposite the US embassy in Colombo's high-security zone was aimed at Douglas Devananda, a Tamil Government Minister who opposes the LTTE, officials said.

They said police arrested a woman accomplice of the suicide bomber yesterday. The 29-year-old woman was remanded in custody for two weeks pending further investigations.

The US embassy in its statement asked the Sri Lankan Government and Tamil Tigers to take all steps to halt the recent violence in the island's East where a Tiger regional commander led an unprecedented split this year.

The LTTE has denied involvement in the suicide bombing.

The Tigers yesterday (Jul 7, 2004) announced they had "executed" two "traitors" from the breakaway group caught with weapons in the Eastern district of Batticaloa.

Meanwhile, unidentified attackers lobbed a grenade at a Buddhist temple in the East yesterday, wounding a monk who had sheltered 14 men loyal to Karuna earlier in the week, police said.