UN condemns suicide bombing in Sri Lanka ......

UN condemns suicide bombing in Sri Lanka

SRI LANKA-Condemning the suicide attack by a female Tamil Tiger bomber that killed 28 people including women and children in northern Sri Lanka, the UN has said "civilians must be distinguished from combatants and protected from the fighting".

"The United Nations reiterates that civilians must be distinguished from combatants, and protected from the fighting," the UN Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator in Sri Lanka said in a statement.

The bomber mingled herself in the crowd of refugees who were being checked after fleeing the war zones near Sundarapuram in Visuamadu and blew herself up on Monday.

The attack comes amid a growing humanitarian crisis in the northern part of the island nation, where some 250,000 civilians are trapped by fighting between Government forces and the separatist LTTE.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and other senior UN officials have repeatedly called on both the rebels and the Government to do all in their power to ensure safe passage for those fleeing the conflict zone and to ensure the protection of civilians in accordance with international law. NDtv