The Commander of the Sri Lanka Army has appointed a high level six-member Court of Inquiry of senior army officers to investigate into the grenade explosion inside a bus in Diyatalawa.

The Court of Inquiry is chaired by Major General Rukmal Dias, Commander, Security Forces - Central (SF-Cen) and Colonel Commandant, Military Intelligence Corps (MIC) and has been appointed by the Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake to look into all aspects related to the bus explosion at Kahagolla, Diyatalawa, in which several Army, Air Force personnel and civilians were seriously injured.

This Court of Inquiry is expected to submit its findings and the report within a few days to the Commander of the Army, the SLA said in a statement.

Other serving members in the Court of Inquiry are Brigadier E.R.P Weerawardane, Brigadier Administration and Quartering, SFHQ-Cen, Brigadier P.M.L Chandrasiri, Commandant, Marksmanship and Sniper Training School (MSTS), Colonel P.P.A Perera, Colonel General Staff, Sri Lanka Army Training Command (ARTRAC), Lieutenant Colonel H.D.J.P Weeratunga, Commanding Officer, 7 Sri Lanka Signal Corps (SLSC) and Major N.A.B.M.S Nishshanka, Research Officer, Nuclear Biological and Chemical Wing at the Centre for Research and Development.

A separate investigation into the incident has been commenced by the Police, said Army Spokesman Brigadier Sumith Attapattu.

Meanwhile the government Analyst has confirmed that the fire in the bus in Diyatalawa was caused by a grenade explosion.

The 19 injured passengers in Diyatalawa bus incident include several Army and Air Force personnel, according to the Military Spokesman.

A fire, followed by an explosion occurred in a private passenger bus travelling from Jaffna to Diyatalawa caused injuries to 19 passengers on February 21 around 5.45 am while it was plying in the general area of Kahagolla, Diyatalawa.

Reports claimed that the bus after reaching Bandarawela town has transferred the passengers bound for Diyatalawa to another private bus before the incident took place.

Among the passengers were 7 Army personnel and 5 Air Force personnel. 

The Army has denied any terrorist involvement in the incident.