A suspected Tamil Tiger suicide bomber struck the starting ceremony of a marathon in Sri Lanka yesterday, killing a government minister, a former Olympic runner and at least ten other people.

The bomber attacked as Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, the Highways Minister, was about to wave a flag to start the marathon in Weliweriya, 12 miles from Colombo, the capital.

“Ready, on your marks, steady . . .” Mr Fernandopulle, 55, said over a public address system just seconds before he was engulfed by a fireball. He was the second minister to die this year in attacks blamed on Tamil Tiger rebels who have been fighting for an independent homeland in Sri Lanka’s north and northeast since 1983.

The Government ended a six-year ceasefire with the Tigers in January and has since launched an offensive in their heartland, vowing to crush them by the end of the year. Most observers say that this is unlikely and the attack proved that the Tigers, who are listed as a terrorist group by the United States and the European Union, can still strike at high-level targets deep within government-held territory.

Lakshman Hulugalle, a government spokesman, blamed the Tigers for the attack on Mr Fernandopulle, who was one of the most heavily guarded Cabinet members because of his outspoken criticism of the rebel group. Mr Fernandopulle, who was seen as a future Prime Minister, was a member of the negotiating team during failed peace talks with the Tigers in 2006.

The bombing killed 11 others, including K.A. Karunaratne, a former Sri Lankan Olympic marathon runner, and Lakshman de Alwis, a national athletics coach, and injured at least 100 others. Karunaratne competed in the 1992 Olympic marathon and the 1993 World Championships. He won gold in the marathon and 10,000m at the 1991 South Asian Games, defending his title in 1993. Yesterday’s race was part of festivities marking the Sinhalese new year. Local TV showed scores of terrified runners and onlookers fleeing along the street in Weliweriya after the blast, which left the area covered in blood and body parts.

Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Sri Lankan President, condemned the bombing as an act of savagery and cowardice. “This dastardly act will not weaken our resolve to eradicate terrorism from our midst and bring peace and democracy to our people,” he said.

Sri Lanka’s war is estimated to have killed more than 70,000 people, 5,000 of whom have lost their lives since the Norwegian-brokered truce began to unravel in late 2005.

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