A powerful timing bomb was found Sunday in the eastern suburb of Colombo where the Sri Lankan ruling party was holding its annual convention, police said.
The bomb weighing eight kg was discovered Sunday afternoon at a fair site in Delkanda, about nine km east of the capital.
It was packed and dumped under a trade stall selling spices, police said.
Just two km away from the market, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party was having its 17th annual convention presided by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse.
Police sources said at least five people have been arrested with four of them from the minority Tamil community.
Police said the bomb was the first of its kind recovered as usually claymore bombs or roadside bombs are used by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to attack the security forces.
Tight security was prevailing in the area due to the arrival of President Rajapakse, police said.
Government troops have recently got full control of the east for the first time in 13 years, but the LTTE has dubbed their defeat as tactical withdrawals.
They warned last week that economic and military targets would be taken in their bid to weaken the state military apparatus.
Claiming discrimination at the hands of the majority ethnic Sinhalese-dominant government, the LTTE has been fighting for an independent homeland for Sri Lanka's 12.5 percent Tamil minority since the 1970s.
About 5,000 people have died in the escalation of the conflict between government troops and the LTTE since the end of 2005.
Source: Xinhua
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