Suicide bomber kills top general in motorcycle attack

A SUICIDE bomber on a motorcycle rammed into a car carrying Sri Lanka’s third-highest ranking military officer yesterday and blew himself up, killing the general and three other people, officials said.

Authorities immediately blamed the Tamil Tiger rebels, but President Mahinda Rajapakse urged Sri Lankans to remain calm and said his government would “act with patience” — a sign officials may be weighing options amid fears that the cycle of attack-and-retaliation could push Sri Lanka back into all-out war.

“These killings are further examples of the (Tiger’s) concerted efforts to derail the peace process,” Mr Rajapakse said in a statement.