Two police escorting Japanese killed in Sri Lanka

Two police officers escorting a Japanese official on a visit in eastern Sri Lanka were killed Wednesday in a claymore mine explosion in a region recaptured from Tamil rebels, military and embassy officials said. A Japanese embassy spokesman in Colombo said the official was being escorted by police to visit an irrigation project being constructed with Japanese aid in the Vavunathivu area, 240 kilometres east of Colombo, when the explosion took place.
"The Japanese official was not hurt in the incident", he said.
Reports from the area said the official was about 300 metres behind a police motorcycle squad escorting him.
However, the military said that the policemen were on a foot patrol in the area when they were caught in the claymore mine blast and three police officers were also injured.
The government declared that the Eastern Province has been recaptured from the rebels and security forces are in control of the area.
Its recapture was considered a major victory for the security forces after Tamil separatist rebels had held it for more than 25 years.
Local elections were held March 10 and were won by a government-backed breakaway group of rebels. Provincial elections are to be held in May, and candidate nominations are to begin Thursday.