Two bomb attacks on buses in Sri Lanka killed at least 22 people today, security officials said, the latest in a series of assaults by suspected Tamil Tiger rebels on the country's transport system.
In the first attack, 20 people were killed and 64 wounded when a roadside bomb exploded during morning rush hour near a crowded bus in the capital Colombo, the military said.
Later, an explosion hit a bus in the central town of Polgolla, killing at least two and wounding 20 others, police said.
The government blamed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for the blast in Colombo, as well as other attacks on urban areas that have increased since the military began a new push against rebel territory in the north and east.
Today's bombs come two days after the military blamed rebels for a bomb attack on a railway track that wounded 27 civilians in Colombo.
The rebels, who are fighting for an independent state in the north and east, were not immediately available for comment but usually deny involvement in such attacks.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa called on people to remain calm. "Remain vigilant against the forces of terror and continue to assist the police and security forces in the task of eradicating terrorism from our country," he said in an statement.
More than 70,000 people have been killed since civil war broke out in 1983.