Explosions rock Sri Lanka on independence day, killing 13

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (CNN) - A series of explosions tore through Sri Lanka Monday as the country celebrated its independence day. The government immediately blamed the Tamil Tiger rebels for the attacks, which killed 12 civilians and one soldier in separate incidents.

A roadside bomb ripped through a bus in northeast Sri Lanka Monday, killing 12 passengers and injuring 17 others, the military told CNN. The bus was carrying passengers from one village to another in the Welioya region when it was struck.

A few hours earlier, another bomb hit a military tractor in Buttala in the southern part of the country, military officials said. One soldier died in the explosion; three others were injured.