Sarath Fonseka's woman supporter killed, eight injured in Sri Lanka

A woman was killed and eight other supporters of opposition candidate Sarath Fonseka were injured today when gunmen sprayed bullets on a bus in the home district of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, in the first political killing to the run-up for Presidential polls.

Elections in Sri Lanka have been marred in the past by violence but today's shooting in Tangalle in Rajapaksa's Hambantota district was the first in the run-up to the presidential vote.

Gunmen on a passing motorcycle had fired on the bus killing a woman and wounding eight others, police said quoting local media reports. Fonseka, a former general, quit the army and entered politics last month over differences with President Mahinda Rajapaksa who accused him of trying to seize power after
crushing separatist LTTE last year.

Already, there have been a record 251 violent incidents related to the January 26 election, in which
Rajapaksa is facing Fonseka. Fonseka and Rajapaksa, who stood side-by-side after defeating the LTTE, are now bitter rivals and the general has garnered the backing of pro-Tamil parties like TNA.

Rajapaksa's government has earmarked $4 billion to rebuild country's war-shattered north, part of a plan to eliminate lingering support for the Tigers.