LTTE Suicide bomber targets ministers

suicide bomber targeted a convoy of vehicles carrying Sri Lanka's defense secretary and other security officials in the capital Friday, wounding at least 14 people, the military and a hospital official said.

The secretary wasn't injured, officials said.

Military spokesman Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe said the bomber, whose identity was not immediately known, set off the explosives as the convoy was passing.

Samarasinghe said Defense Secretary, G. Rajapakse, who is the brother of President Mahinda Rajapakse, was in one of the cars.

"He is safe, no harm has come to him," Samarasinghe said.

Director of the Colombo National Hospital, Hector Weerasinghe, said 14 people, including seven soldiers, had been admitted. Rajapakse was not among them, he said.

One man was apparently killed shortly after the bombing when security forces opened fire in the area.

Colombo has been under tight security for several months over fears of possible attacks by the separatist Tamil Tiger rebels.