"The LTTE has resorted to this act of desperation at a time when the group has suffered major military setbacks at the hands of the Sri Lankan security forces, and the government's political proposals to resolve the ethnic problem have received the acceptance of the majority of the Tamil people as well as that of the Sinhala and Muslim people. Their action is clearly intended to derail this process by provoking our people to cause harassment to innocent Tamil citizens and cause damage to the country's economic assets," President Kumaratunga declared on national television and radio. Earlier, the powerful Deputy Minister of Defence, Colonel Anurudha Ratwatte, had announced on television that the military campaign to defeat the rebels was on track. "These types of attacks cannot be eliminated. We can only make it difficult for the Tigers by being vigilant. However, such barbaric attacks will not divert us from our aim of defeating terrorism. It will only strengthen our resolve," the minister declared.