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Colombo: Suspected rebel gunmen ambushed a crowded passenger bus on Friday as it travelled down a small rural road in southern Sri Lanka, killing a nine-year-old boy and three women, the military said.
The attack came amid a sharp spike in fighting in the war between government troops and Tamil Tiger rebels in the northern jungles, and underscored the rebels' continued ability to strike deep inside government-controlled territory.
A group of gunmen hiding by the side of the road near the southern village of Buttala raked the passing civilian bus with gunfire, said military spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara. The bus driver sped through the ambush, only stopping when he reached safety, Nanayakkara said.
He blamed the rebels for the attack, which he said killed a boy and three women and wounded 25 others.
Troops were sent to the remote site to try to find the assailants, he said.
Rebel spokesman Rasiah Ilanthirayan could not be reached for comment. The Tamil Tigers have been blamed for scores of suicide bombings and other attacks on civilians and are listed as a terror group by the United States, European Union and India.
Rebels were blamed for a strike in Buttala on January 16 in which assailants bombed a bus, gunned down the fleeing passengers, killing 32 people.
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