At least four people were killed and 20 injured in an explosion at an election rally on the edge of Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo, today.
Police and party officials said the explosion went off at a rally of the ruling United National Party ahead of local government elections on March 20th, the first test of the UNP's popularity since it won parliamentary elections in December.
There are four dead and 20 people were injured. It was a grenade, said Lands Minister Mr Rajitha Senaratne, who rushed to the scene in a southern suburb of the capital.
At least 20 people were injured, three are critical, said an official at the government hospital in Kalubowila.
After two decades of ethnic war, the UNP has forged ahead quickly with a peace process since December. Prime Minister Mr Ranil Wickremesinghe signed an indefinite ceasefire last month with Tamil Tiger rebels fighting for a separate Tamil state.
Officials said they did not suspect the Tigers in the blast.
Elections in Sri Lanka are usually violent. About 70 people have died in the run-up to the parliamentary vote.