COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, Jan. 13 (UPI) -- Gunmen in Sri Lanka fired on a bus carrying supporters of the opposition presidential candidate two weeks ahead of elections, killing a woman, police said.
Four others were injured in the shooting incident Tuesday in Tangalle in the southern coast of the island nation, Lankapage.com reported.
Presidential elections are set for Jan. 26 pitting incumbent Mahinda Rajapaksa against opposition candidate, former head of the armed forces, Gen. Sarath Fonseka.
The attackers of the bus carrying Fonseka supporters were reported to be riding a motorcycle.
Condemning the attack, the Rajapaksa government issued a statement Wednesday saying it "will not tolerate any such acts of violence, in the midst of this democratic electoral process." It said authorities have been told to tighten security at political events "to ensure that all Sri Lankans can participate safely in the electoral process."
Rajapaksa's government claimed victory over the Tamil Tiger rebels last May after a prolonged military campaign that ended the 26-year-old civil war in which rebels sought a separate homeland for the Tamil-speaking minority in the predominantly Buddhist island nation of nearly 21 million. Tamils make up 12-13 percent of the population.
Fonseka, who became a public hero after the defeat of the Tamil rebels, resigned his post last November, raising speculation that he would run against Rajapaksa.
Polls indicate the candidates are running neck and neck among the majority Sinhalese voters. This has forced both to woo the Tamils, whose votes could prove decisive.
