Incident Summary:

12/18/1999: A female suicide bomber detonated her device in Colombo, Sri Lanka in an to assassinate President Chandrika Kumaratunga. 111 people, including Kumaratunga, were injured and fourteen others were killed, including a top police officer in charge of her security. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was blamed for the attack.

GTD ID:
199912180001

When:
1999-12-18

Country:
Sri Lanka

Region:
South Asia

Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:

Western

City:
Colombo

Attack Information
Type of Attack (more) Bombing/Explosion
Successful Attack? (more) Yes
Target Information (more)
Target Type: Government (General)
Name of Entity Sri Lankan President
Specific Description Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga
Nationality of Target Sri Lanka
Target Type: Private Citizens & Property
Name of Entity Civilians
Specific Description Civilians in Colombo, Sri Lanka
Nationality of Target Sri Lanka
Additional Information
Hostages No
Ransom No
Property Damage Yes
Extent of Property Damage Unknown
Value of Property Damage Unknown
Weapon Information
Type Sub-type
Explosives Suicide (carried bodily by human being)
Additional Information
Suicide Attack?Yes
Part of Multiple Incident?Yes
Criterion 1 (more) Yes
Criterion 2 (more) Yes
Criterion 3 (more) Yes
Doubt Terrorism Proper (more) No
Perpetrator Group Information
Group Name Claimed Responsibility
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) (suspected) No
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators 1
Number of Captured Perpetrators 0
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties 15 Fatalities / 110 Injured
Total Number of Fatalities 15
Number of U.S. Fatalities 0
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities 1
Total Number of Injured 110
Number of U.S. Injured 0
Number of Perpetrators Injured 0
Sources
“Sri Lankan President Injured in Bomb Blast; 21 Dead, 150 Wounded,” The Associated Press, December 18, 1999.
“Suicide Bomber Attempts Sri Lanka president's Assassination,” Agence France Presse, December 18, 1999.
“Sri Lankan Election Campaign Ends in Carnage,” Agence France Presse, December 18, 1999.