Friday, December 23 2005 18:15 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Colombo: Suspected Tamil Tiger rebels blew up a Navy bus in north-western Sri Lanka today (Dec 23, 2005), killing at least 12 sailors and wounding 18.

The Navy bus was ambushed with a Claymore mine at Pesalai, in the district of Mannar where three sailors were killed in a sea battle yesterday, a Navy spokesman said.

"There were 30 sailors in the bus. We have recovered 12 bodies and all the others were wounded," he said.

He said the bus was completely destroyed after the devastating attack which the Government blames on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

There was no immediate reaction from the guerrillas.