In Sri Lanka, at least five people have been killed and seven wounded in a blast set off by a suspected suicide bomber. It is the first such attack to be reported since the government and the rebels entered a ceasefire more than two years ago.
Officials say a woman set off explosives at a police station in the capital, Colombo, Wednesday. She was being taken in for questioning when she blew herself up.
The deadly incident occurred in a high-security zone that houses the prime minister's office, and is close to the U.S. and British diplomatic missions. When contacted, the U.S. Embassy in Colombo declined comment. But Sri Lankan Police officials are calling it a terrorist attack.
Tamil Tiger rebels have staged many suicide bombings in the heart of Colombo during their 20-year struggle for a separate homeland in the north and the east. But the city has been calm since the government and the rebels signed a ceasefire in February 2002 and held intermittent peace talks.
In recent days Tamil Tigers have accused the military of supporting a renegade rebel leader and jeopardizing the ceasefire.