Apr 06, Colombo: Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa today unequivocally condemned the brutal suicide attack that killed his government's Highways and Road Development Minister, Jeyaraj Fernandopulle and 13 others this morning at a marathon in Weliveriya.

Condemning the attack 'emphatically and unequivocally' the President said “It is also significant that in carrying this repeated act of terrorist brutality the LTTE has chosen as its target a leader of the Catholic and Christian communities of Sri Lanka, who played an important role in bringing about greater understanding among the different communities of our country.”

President called on the people to be ‘calm and collected in the face of such extreme provocation by the forces of terror.’ “ I wish to reiterate that this dastardly act will not weaken our resolve to eradicate terrorism from our midst, and bring peace, harmony and democracy to all our people, which was also the constant and unqualified wish of Mr. Jeyaraj Fernandopulle,” he said in his statement.