Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer on Saturday described as "heinous" the overnight assassination of his Sri Lankan counterpart Lakshman Kadirgamar.

He said in a statement that Lakshman Kadirgamar played a key role in bringing forward the peace process in Sri Lanka and "this heinous act of terrorism must not be allowed to derail efforts to bring peace to Sri Lanka."

"On behalf of the Australian government, I would like to express my deepest condolences to his family, the government and the people of Sri Lanka," he said.

Downer said he hopes the peace process will continue in Sri Lanka despite the tragedy.

Kadirgamar was shot at his private residence in the plush residential area of Cinnamon Gardens in the capital of Colombo at around 11:15 p.m. local time Friday (1715 GMT) and passed away at 00:15 a.m. Saturday (1815 GMT) Friday.

No one has claimed responsibility for the assassination.

Kadirgamar was in the forefront of the Sri Lankan government's campaign for an international ban on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels.

Source: Xinhua