Perara, Opposition leader of North-Central provincial council and former Chief of Staff of Sri Lankan Army, was among the dead when the bomber blew himself up as the new building of the United National Party (UNP) was being inaugurated, army spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara said.

The attack came at a time when the Tamil Tigers are battling hard to save their administrative headquarters at Killinochi from being over run by the army troops.

Perara, military sources said, was the apparent target of the LTTE as he had led many successful campaigns against them and was the strategist thought to be responsible for halting rebel advance in the Jaffna peninsula in 2001.

The suicide attack came just hours after a road side bomb killed two civilians and wounded another in a village on the outskirts of the Buddhist town.

"The bomb blast occurred around 8.45 am during a function held to declare open the new UNP office in Anuradhapura," sources said.

Among other victims were UNP manager in Anuradhapura Dr John Pulle and his wife.