Lanka: US, Italian envoys hurt in artillery attack

The Ambassadors of the United States and Italy were injured Tuesday in an artillery attack by suspected Tamil rebels in eastern Sri Lanka.

Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said US Ambassador Robert Blake and Italian envoy Pio Mariani were travelling with him to inspect military gains in the Batticaloa district where troops captured a key rebel stronghold last month. The Italian ambassador Mariani had a head injury and was admitted to the Batticaloa hospital while the US envoy had minor injuries, doctors said.