Bombing in Sri Lanka

This morning there was a bombing at a mosque in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka that reports are saying killed 10 and injured 20 more. I have been made aware of several reports online (BBC, yahoo and google) that line up with reports we are receiving from people in the area.

At this time it is unclear exactly who carried out the attack and what the specific motives were. The BBC reports, "At least one minister was among more than 20 people injured in the blast at the town of Akuressa, 160km (100 miles) south of the capital, Colombo. Government officials were attending a function at a mosque to celebrate an Islamic holiday at the time. The defence ministry said the blast was carried out by Tamil Tiger rebels but no-one has yet admitted responsibility."

This is the first bombing in the Southern region of Sri Lanka for over a year now and it seems to have caught residents by surprise. At this point life is continuing as usual, with updated reports coming in through friends in the region.

Hearing the report this morning was unnerving, as is any outbreak of violence so close to home. Perhaps more then anything it brought the reality of life in this nation to my heart. Living in a warzone is hard, whether it is spurred by political or religious associations. Even among the portion of the nation not at war, tension and violence occur as misunderstanding between ethnic groups and religions have sparked threats, attacks and deaths. While I am safe and taking every necessary procaution, the reality is that I am living in a country that is at war and therefore safety is relative. I am currently residing in the southern province and have plans to remain here through the week before returning to and flying out of Colombo.

Please be assured that I am being well taken care of and looked after and that all steps are being taken to ensure my safety.