Agencies 
 
COLOMBO, Aug 14: Seven people were killed and eight wounded in a bomb attack near President Mahinda Rajapakse's official residence, a hospital spokesman said.
 
The blast was near the Indian cricketers' hotel but all the players are said to be safe.
 
Pakistan's High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Bashir Wali was in the area at the time of the blast. Military spokesman Athula Jayawardena said the Pakistani diplomat ands his family escaped unhurt.
 
The blast shook the Flower Road area in the Sri Lankan capital and a Reuters witness could see smoke rising.   
 
The blast shook the windows of the Reuters office in the capital, and comes just hours after a suspected Tamil Tiger front threatened to attack civilians if the military continued attacks on Tamil Tiger rebel territory.

"We have a report of an explosion and we have sent police cars to the area," a police spokesman said.
 
A military convoy escorting a Pakistan Embassy vehicle was hit by the bomb but only a Land Rover at the rear was caught in the blast. The windows of the Land Rover were blown out, and the vehicle was badly damaged. A three-wheeler taxi was on fire.
 
The other vehicles in the convoy were not damaged. Ambulances rushed to the scene.

The car was blown up near the Liberty Plaze roundabout, close to the first barrier leading to the president's Temple Trees residence, police said.   
 
"We have heard that one VIP car and a backup security vehicle was hit by the blast," a police official said, adding that they were trying to check the number of casualties.

A driver from the convoy said the embassy vehicle was slightly damaged, but no one was hurt.
 
The victims had severe burns and shrapnel wounds, a hospital spokeswoman Pushpa Soysa said.
 
Police said a Claymore mine had caused the blast.
 
Pakistan issued a strong condemnation after its ambassador survived the mine attack, adding that the blast had targeted the diplomat.
 
"We strongly condemn it. We also regret the loss of precious lives," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam said.
 
"The attack was on our high commissioner who is safe but his car is damaged. Three members of his security team were injured."
 
She added that Bashir Wali Mohamed had been returning from a flag-raising ceremony for Pakistan's Independence Day when he was attacked.
 
Pakistan is one of the Sri Lankan government's biggest arms suppliers.