Witness History
Witness History
How Sri Lanka's president survived a suicide bombing
Up next
June 9, 2022
9 minutes
Available for over a year
In 2006, Sri Lanka’s current president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, came within metres of death when he was targeted in a suicide bomb attack in Colombo. The attack was orchestrated by the Tamil Tigers during what was supposed to be a ceasefire in Sri Lanka’s long-standing civil war. Matt Pintus has been speaking to former Sri Lankan foreign minister, Pali Palihakkara, who was injured in the blast.
Photo: Burning car after explosion (Getty Images)