A motorcycle rider detonated an explosive in front of the office of the Senior Superintendent of the Police on Monday June 16, killing 12 Sri Lankan policemen and himself, and injuring about 40 others.
Later the number killed was modified to 16, CNN reported, calling it “at least the second deadly explosion in
Four of the wounded were civilians. Two schoolchildren also sustained minor injuries in the blast.
The attacker rode into a police barrack while the group of policemen were emerging from the office located along the A-9 road, press reports said.
"Twelve people were killed ... from a suicide blast in Vavuniya town," military spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara said, adding several schoolchildren were also among the wounded.
Nanayakkara said a suicide bomber riding a motorcycle had blown himself in front of a police station in the town.
The Ministry of Defence, Public Security, Law and Order said on its website that the suicide blast occurred around 7:10 a.m. as the police were leaving a police facility go on duty.
Other reports quoted police as saying the officers had gathered outside to await assignment details when the attacker drove into the group with a motorcycle.
The most senior police official was not in the building at the time of the blast which occurred during the morning rush hour, a policeman in Vavuniya told AFP.
The Ministry of Defence said the 12 police personnel killed included three women police constables.
Vavuniya, located 158 miles (255 km) from the capital
The ministry blamed the attack on the Liberation Tigers for the attack.