The death toll in Sri Lanka's bus bomb blast on Thursday by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam ( LTTE) rebels in the North Central Province rose to 65 as government launched retaliatory air attacks on Tamil Tiger positions.

The Army said in a statement that 87 people had been injured in addition to the 65 dead as a powerful Claymore mine hit a civilian passenger bus around 8 a.m. local time (0230 GMT) on Thursday at Kebitigollewa, 270 km north of Colombo.

Eight of the injured had been transferred to Colombo National Hospital for immediate surgery as their condition turned worse.

Fifteen children proceeding to schools and a few pregnant women going for pre-natal care clinics were in the ill-fated state owned bus that was ripped in the LTTE claymore mine attack, said the statement.

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa visited the scene and the victims of the attack, instructing the officials concerned to provide all necessary relief and assistance to the people who are disturbed and suffering.

"All necessary arrangements will be made to protect the people, " Rajapaksa stressed, adding that the government will continue the peace process.

Meanwhile, military spokesman Prasad Samarasinghe said all evidence so far showed a deliberate targeting of a civilian bus by the LTTE, as no armed services personnel traveled in buses on that route.

The government has strongly condemned the attack occurred a day after the LTTE delegation returned to the island after the aborted talks in Oslo.

"The government is aware that the aim of the terrorists is to instigate a backlash in order to fulfill their evil designs," said Keheliya Rambukwella, the minister of Policy Planning and the government's defense spokesman.

Rambukwella said the claymore attack on the innocent civilians is a blatant violation of the cease-fire agreement by the LTTE.

On the other hand, the Tamil Tigers said in its official website that the organization had no links to the blast, saying " LTTE condemns this attack on the civilian bus.

"The attack in Kebitigollewa timed to occur immediately after the arrival of the LTTE delegation from Europe is a reprehensible act of murders with the sole aim of blaming the LTTE for the attack," said the LTTE.

Hours after the claymore blast, the government ordered air raids on rebel positions in the Mulaitivu district in the north and Sampur in the east.

"The security forces undertook deterrent measures to neutralize certain identified LTTE terrorist targets in Sampur and Mulaitivu areas to prevent further acts of this nature in the future," said the military in a statement.

The military advised the public to remain calm in spite of any provocation, saying the armed forces and the police will assure security to all citizens.

Over 700 people have been killed in violence blamed on both sides since last December.

Source: Xinhua