June 17, 2008	Tuesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 12, 1429

COLOMBO, June 16: A suicide bomb attack in northern Vavuniya killed 12 police personnel, including three women and injured 23 persons, school children among them, military officials said on Monday.

The bomber detonated explosives on a motorcycle outside the office of the Senior Superintendent of Police in the Vavuniya town around 7.00 am, the Defence Ministry said blaming the Tamil Tigers for the attack.

The attack came a day after government troops took control of a key stretch of rebel held territory in Periyamadu in the north after heavy clashes that killed 15 guerillas and two soldiers, military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nannayakkara said.