On 07 January 2007 SLMM sent two monitors to inquire into an incident happening the day before (06 January), when a bomb exploded in a private bus running between Colombo and Matara.

The monitors went to Ambalangoda police station, where they met with the Officer-In-Charge (OIC) and examined the bus. SLMM also visited the hospital in Karapitiya in Balapitiya Galle district, where the victims from the explosion were taken. 11 people died in the blast, with 33 injured.

Inspection of the bus showed damages on the rear right of the bus, similar to the damages to the bus in Nittambuwa where a bomb was set off on 05 January. According the police the bomb had been placed on the luggage rack above the seats on the rear right side of the bus. They stated it was a time bomb but not a suicide bomb.

The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) is deeply concerned about the increased violence and the rising number of civilian casualties in the country.

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The Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) signed the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) in 2002; an agreement imposing clear obligations to both Parties.

The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission was by the CFA set up to inquire into any instance of violation of the terms and conditions of the CFA. The SLMM remains firmly committed to fulfil its mission by continuously adapting to the altering situation in Sri Lanka, within the mandate given in the Ceasefire Agreement.