11.   Tamil separatists claim they are discriminated against by the majority Sinhalese who dominate the government and military.

12.   The bombings were not immediately claimed, but they resembled other recent attacks claimed by separatists who demand special tax status and greater independence for the French Mediterranean island.

13.   The separatists claim widespread discrimination by majority Sinhalese, who control the government and military.

14.   The separatists claim the federal government denies Muslims their religious and economic rights.

15.   While separatists claimed responsibility for the tax building blast, the law office blast went unclaimed.

16.   However, the separatists claim to have been occupying the police headquarters in the town since late Sunday.

17.   Basque separatists claimed responsibility for similar incidents in the neighbouring Navarra region, where attackers threw molotov cocktails at police vans.

18.   Bodo separatists have not claimed responsibility for any of the bombings.

19.   Chechen separatists claimed, however, that their fighters had left the town before the Russian troops entered.

20.   Chechen separatists Thursday claimed to have retaken positions from Russian troops in central Grozny as Russian shelling of the city continued but with less intensity than previous days.