COLOMBO, Feb 3 (Reuters) - A loud explosion was heard on Sunday near the zoo in Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo, witnesses said.

"There has been an explosion. I heard a loud noise inside the zoo," an official said from the facility in the Dehiwala suburb of Colombo.

It was not immediately clear what the cause of the blast was, but Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam rebels are frequently blamed for suicide and bomb attacks in the capital and elsewhere. (Reporting by Ranga Sirilal; Editing by David Fox)

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