1996 Dehiwala train bombing

The Dehiwala train bombing was a terrorist attack carried out by the LTTE on July 24, 1996.

Incident
The Dehiwala train bombing resulted in 64 civilian deaths and wounding 400 others. The attack was carried out by LTTE operatives placing suitcase bombs in four carriages on a commuter train. The simultaneous explosion of these bombs resulted in a large number of casualties. The technique of simultaneously exploding multiple bombs in several carriages was used for the first time in this attack.

In a July 25, 1996 the U.S. State Department and E.U. condemned the bombing of the Dehiwela railway station in Colombo and called on the LTTE to renounce the use of terrorism, also in July, the Indian government extended its ban on LTTE as an unlawful association under section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

Reaction
The LTTE, was later condemned by the International community including USA and EU.

Related incidents
Some of the related LTTE attacks on civilians between 1984 and 2006 include the


 * Kebithigollewa massacre       - 62 Sinhalese civilians died
 * Gonagala massacre             - 54 Sinhalese civilians died
 * October 1995 Eastern Sri Lanka Massacres - 120 Sinhalese civilians died
 * Kallarawa massacre            - 42 Sinhalese civilians died
 * Anuradhapura massacre        - 146 Sinhalese civilians died
 * Palliyagodella massacre       - 166 Muslim Civilians died
 * Central Bank Bombing          - 102 civilians died
 * Kent and Dollar Farm massacres - 52 Sinhalese civilians died