Six children and three women were among 15 people killed when militants linked to the Easter Sunday bombings opened fire and blew themselves up during a fierce gun battle with security forces in Sri Lanka’s Eastern province, police said Saturday.
The shootout occurred as the security forces continued theirhunt for members of the National Thowheeth Jamaath (NTJ), the local terroroutfit behind the April 21 coordinated blasts in which 253 people were killedand over 500 injured.
The Special Task Force and Army troops, following a tip-off,raided a house in Kalmunai city, about 360 kms from Colombo, on Friday night,leading to the heavy exchange of fire with the armed group.
As the heavily-armed men opened fire on troops, a civiliancaught in the middle got killed.
As the clashes intensified, three men are believed to haveset off explosives.
“A total of 15 bodies recovered, six men, three womenand six children. At least four suspected suicide bombers are dead and threeothers who were injured are in hospital,” a police spokesperson said.
A police spokesman said that three suspected suicide bomberswere among the 15 dead. “When the police was doing a joint searchoperation in Sainthamuruthu, gunfire was directed at them,” policespokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said. A suicide blast took place and the body of aterrorist with a T56 assault rifle was also found at the site.
“Officials have recovered detonators, suicide kits,army uniforms and ISIS flags,” an army officer said.
Meanwhile, the police said that curfew imposed in theMuslim-majority areas of Kalmunai, Chavalakade and Sammanthurai would continueuntil further notice.
At least 76 people have been arrested by the police inconnection with the attack so far. Twenty were arrested in the last 24 hours.
Officials also seized one kg of explosives near a railwaystation at Wellawatta, a popular south Colombo suburb.
The curfew was lifted for other areas at 4 AM on Saturday.At the security council meeting held last night, it was decided that searchoperations to crackdown on extremist terrorism must continue until the threatis completely eliminated. Security has been improved at hotels, schools andpublic places.
Muslims account for 10 per cent of the population and are the second-largest minority after Hindus. Around seven per cent of Sri Lankans are Christians.