3 rebels sentenced in Sri Lankan for deadly train bombing

A Sri Lankan court on Tuesday sentenced to jail three Tamil Tiger rebels over a deadly train bombing 17 years ago. Colombo High Court Judge Kumudini Wickramasinghe sentenced the three rebels to jail over the 1996 bombing of a train in Dehiwala, in the outskirts of the capital Colombo in which 70 people were killed and nearly 400 others injured. Two men charged with the crime were sentenced to 10 years rigorous imprisonment while a female rebel was given a 5 year jail term. All three had pleaded guilty over their involvement in the bombing. The July 24, 1996 attack was carried out by Tamil Tiger operatives placing suitcase bombs in four carriages on a commuter train. The simultaneous explosion of these bombs resulted in a large number of casualties. The U.S. State Department and the European Union condemned the bombing and called on the rebels to renounce the use of terrorism while the Indian government extended its ban on the rebels during that time. The Tamil Tigers were responsible for several deadly attacks in and around the capital, including suicide attacks, killing thousands during the 30 year war with the government. The Tamil Tigers were eventually defeated in a brutal final battle in May 2009 with the military regaining control over all the areas in the north and east of the country held by the Tamil Tigers.