Six died and more than twenty four civilians and four Special Task Force (STF) personnel were injured when the LTTE exploded a 10 Kg claymore mine targeting an STF truck 100 yards from the Belek Kade junction in Ratmalana around 5.45 p.m. yesterday (28).

The Media Centre for National Security said nine STF personnel, including a sub inspector had been in the truck bound for Colombo, at the time of the attack.

The injured were rushed to the Kalubowila and the Panadura hospitals. Among the dead were three women. They succumbed to their injuries on admission to hospital. Some of the victims were critically injured, the hospital sources said.

The bomb had been placed under the roof of two wayside shops. According to military sources one of the shops had been closed for more than 1 ½ years and some repairs had been effected to it a few days ago.

The truck had been moving from the STF Training School in Katukurunda to its camp in Gonahena, Kadawatha when the explosion occurred.

A number of vehicles were damaged by the explosion. Traffic on the Galle road had to be diverted via other routes police said.

Bags, shoes and slippers were seen strewn on the road.

A massive search operation was mounted in the area in the aftermath of the blast, but no arrests had been made at the time this edition went to press.