Sri Lankan officials are warning that Tamil Tiger rebels will try more attacks against civilians, after Wednesday's deadly roadside bombing that killed 16 passengers on a bus.
Media Minister Anura Yapa Thursday told reporters the attack on civilians shows Tamil Tigers are becoming more desperate.
Yapa said the government is doing its best to destroy the group and make sure terrorism is wiped out in Sri Lanka.
The government blames Tamil Tigers for Wednesday's bombing in Anuradhapura district in the rebel-controlled north.
A similar bus attack in the same area killed 64 people last year, provoking a wide-scale military retaliation against the rebels.
Sri Lankan troops continue daily clashes with rebels in the island's north.
Tamil Tigers were also blamed for last week's two bomb attacks that killed 20 people in Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo.
The rebels are fighting for an independent homeland, claiming discrimination by the majority-Sinhalese government.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.