At least 12 police personnel were killed and over 20 injured in a suicide bomb attack launched by Tamil Tiger rebels in the northern Sri Lankan town of Vavuniya Monday morning, defense officials said.

Officials from the Ministry of Defense said the suicide attack was carried out by an LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) suicide bomber targeting police personnel near the SSP (Senior Superintendent of Police) office complex in Vavuniya around 7:10 A.M. (0140 GMT) local time.

The police personnel were leaving the SSP office for their duties when the explosion occurred.

(Xinhua News Agency June 16, 2008)