COLOMBO: At least 60 persons were arrested on Tuesday in Colombo and suburbs, Defence officials said, as troops searched all vehicles and persons entering the city, a day after a powerful claymore mine exploded near the military airport south of the capital killing eight civilians and injuring over 37.

The persons arrested are being questioned in connection with Monday evenings bombing, military spokesman Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe said while defence ministry sources stated that air raids were carried out on Tuesday in the northern LTTE controlled region of Mullativu targeting guerilla camps.

Air raids were carried out on specific LTTE targets, the military spokesman confirmed while the Tamil Tiger rebels claimed that a 56-year-old woman was killed and two civilians wounded in the bombing.

Two Air force jets dropped bombs on Ve'naavil, a village in Puthukkudiyiruppu in the Mullativu district around 1.45 pm. and later at 2.20 pm, a statement on the pro LTTE website Tamil Net said.

Separately in northern Vavuniya, three LTTE suspects were killed when a bomb exploded near the well of a house, police said. Sources said the men are believed to have been killed as they were preparing to retrieve the bombs hidden near the well.