Gun battle at terrorist bomb factory leaves 16 dead
SIXTEEN people, including at least six children, have been killed following a firefight between soldiers and extremists linked to the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka.
Troops from the country’s Special Forces Regiment led a night-time assault on a suspected safe house in the coastal city of Sainthamaruthu on Friday night.
But as heavy gunfire was exchanged, one of the suspected terrorists detonated a suicide vest. By yesterday morning, six youngsters, four women and six suspected members of the National Tawhid Jamat group were dead.
Charred bodies were seen being dragged from the building by the security forces.
The Sri Lankan authorities believe the house was a makeshift bomb factory where devices used in the Easter Sunday attacks were made.
Police and the army also raided
a property in the nearby town of Samanthurai where they found Islamic State uniforms and flags, 150 sticks of gelignite, 100,000 ball-bearings and a drone camera.
Sri Lanka remains on high alert a week after the atrocities, during which 253 people were killed and more than 500 were injured.
Amid fears and intelligence that the terrorists could strike again, Britain’s Foreign Office has urged Britons not to travel there unless it is essential. The US has issued similar advice. Meanwhile, Muslims across Sri Lanka were told not to gather in mosques for Friday congregation prayers, known as jumuah, because of fears of reprisal attacks.
Christian worshippers were also told to pray at home rather than gather in churches.
Since last weekend’s attacks, curfews have been ordered each night across cities, including the capital, Colombo.
Investigators from the FBI and Scotland Yard have flown to Sri Lanka to help with the probe.