Colombo, February 3: The US "strongly" condemned the bomb blasts in Sri Lanka and blamed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for the attacks just ahead of the country's independence day.

"The United States strongly condemns the terrorist bombing on Feb 3 at Fort railway station and Dehiwela Zoo in Colombo, and on Feb 2 in a bus in Dambulla," a release from the US embassy here said.

The attacks bore "all the hallmarks of the LTTE, clearly targeting innocent civilians to foster an atmosphere of fear prior to Sri Lanka's independence day celebrations", the release said.

The US appealed to all parties in the Sri Lankan conflict to avoid killing or injuring civilians. It reiterated Washington's stand that there could only be a political solution to the prolonged conflict.