Sri Lankan suicide bomber explodes by mistake
( 2001-07-29 15:20 ) (7 )

A Tamil Tiger suicide bomber killed himself and a suspected accomplice in northern Sri Lanka on Sunday when he accidently set off explosives strapped to his body, military officials said.

The bizarre accident took place in the northwestern Mannar area as the bomber prepared to set out "on a mission" from the sleepy fishing village in which he had been hiding.

"It was a mistake. The blast left the two bodies in pieces and another person injured," said military spokesman Brigadier Sanath Karunaratne.

Suicide bombers are the most dreaded weapon of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), fighting since 1983 for a separate state for minority Tamils in the country's north and east.

Karunaratne said the bomber had been living in the house of a local fisherman for more than two years, but could give no details of his intended target.

Black Tigers, as the LTTE's suicide brigade is called, have been known to stalk their targets, often military top brass or politicians, for years before choosing the moment to strike by detonating explosives strapped to their bodies.

Suicide bombers led a group of guerrillas on a 10-hour blitz through Sri Lanka's only international airport last week, sending tourists scrambling for cover and leaving airliners burning on the tarmac.