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1996 Dehiwala train bombing

A bombing attack by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on a commuter train at Dehiwala railway station near Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 24, 1996, killed 64 civilians and wounded about 400 others.

SOLVED1996

Dehiwala railway station, Colombo, Sri Lanka

3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

On July 24, 1996, during the rush hour, a commuter train near Dehiwala railway station in Colombo, Sri Lanka, was attacked with suitcase bombs placed in four carriages. The bombs exploded simultaneously, causing 64 civilian deaths and wounding approximately 400 others. The attack has been attributed to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

According to the Sri Lanka Army, the tactic of detonating multiple bombs simultaneously across several carriages of a train had been used previously by the LTTE in January 1985, when the Yal Devi Colombo–Jaffna train was bombed.

In the aftermath of the bombing, on July 25, 1996, the United States State Department and the European Union issued statements condemning the attack on the Dehiwela railway station in Colombo and called on the LTTE to renounce the use of terrorism. That same month, the Indian government extended its ban on the LTTE, designating it an unlawful association under section 3 of India's Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

The 1996 Dehiwala train bombing is noted as distinct from a separate, later 2008 Dehiwala train bombing.

Key facts

Victims
On file
Date
1996
Location
Dehiwala railway station, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 1985-01

    According to the Sri Lanka Army, the LTTE previously used simultaneous multi-carriage bombing tactics when the Yal Devi Colombo–Jaffna train was bombed.

  2. 1996-07-24

    Suitcase bombs placed by LTTE operatives in four carriages of a commuter train explode simultaneously near Dehiwala railway station in Colombo, killing 64 civilians and wounding about 400 others.

  3. 1996-07-25

    The U.S. State Department and the European Union issue statements condemning the bombing and calling on the LTTE to renounce terrorism.

  4. 1996-07

    The Indian government extends its ban on the LTTE as an unlawful association under section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

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People

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Places

Dehiwala railway station, Colombo, Sri Lanka

6.8508, 79.8654

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
A bombing attack by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on a commuter train at Dehiwala railway station near Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 24, 1996, killed 64 civilians and wounded about 400 others.
Where did the bombing happen?
Dehiwala railway station, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.
More cases in Sri Lanka

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDIC1996 Dehiwala train bombingWikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — BBC NewsBBC News · 2026-07-07
  3. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — hindu.comhindu.com · 2026-07-07

Record history

First published
JUL 07, 2026

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