News
15 killed in explosion at terrorist safehouse
Additional troops were called in yesterday to support on going search operations and provide security after 15 people were killed in Sainthamaruthu when inmates of a house triggered off three explosions as STF and Army personnel tried to search the house, a senior military officer said.
In Sainthamaruthu, security forces moved civilians to a school, while the search operation was underway
Last night, the search operation continued at a tsunami housing scheme in Sainthamurthu, where the explosions took place. In the police divisions of Kalmunai, Chavalakade and Samanthurai, the curfew clamped on Friday night continued throughout yesterday.
Six children were among those killed, while a woman and a child who survived a string of explosions set off by one or more persons inside the house were found yesterday morning and taken to the Kalmunai hospital.
The STF and Army personnel surrounded the area on Friday on a tip-off and had encountered gun fire while three explosions were reported inside the house. However, a search operation inside the house was carried out only yesterday.
On Friday evening M.M. Mahir, the 55-year-old Grama Niladhari of ‘Bolivia Village’ — a 400-unit tsunami housing scheme, three Km west of Kalmunai — had received a complaint from a man who had given his house on rent.The house had been rented out to an individual who had claimed he was a telecom engineer from Kattankudy. He and his family had moved in, after paying Rs 50,000 upfront as key money.
The house owner’s complaint about an increase in irregular visitors to the house had prompted the Grama Niladhari to visit the house along with the owner and two other villagers. The chief occupant had argued with them, saying they had no business to check the property after it was rented out.
Before the Grama Niladhari and others could make a counter argument, a man had emerged from a room at the back with an automatic weapon and fired in the air. After that he had thrown a packet of Rs 5,000 bills in to the air and it landed outside the house.
The Grama Niladhari and others had then run towards the main road, while many of the neighbours also fled after the gunfire.
The Grama Niladhari and his group then alerted a security forces patrol nearby. The troops then moved in to surround the house. The terrorists then detonated three bombs. These were later identified as suicide bombs. Some terrorists also opened fire at the security forces. The ensuing fire fight lasted a few hours.
According to the Police, six men, three women and six children perished within the residence. A seriously injured woman and a child were rushed to hospital by the Police. The Army reported that four civilians were injured in the crossfire. One of them later died.
In yesterday morning’s search operation at Nindavur in Ampara, Police and STF personnel found explosive-layered sheets with ball bearings attached, equipment used to build improvised explosive devises (IEDs) and an unregistered van.
At a safe-house which the security forces and police raided on Friday, they found more than 150 sticks of “Water-gel” (gelignite) explosives, urea fertilizer, a large quantity of ball bearings, a drone quad-copter and a large amount of yet-to-be identified acid.
Two weeks ago, the security forces raised concerns about the leakage of ‘water-gel’ explosives in significant quantities from quarry sites. Also, found at the location was a large ISIS flag, suspected to be the backdrop used by Easter Sunday suicide bombers’ video, pledging allegiance to the ISIS, and the clothes they wore on the occasion.
Brigadier Sumith Atapattu said that at Kalmunai and Sainthamurthu the discoveries were the result of a wide security operation carried out with the police and STF. Six terrorists, including suicide bombers were killed while the security forces discovered a large quantity of explosives.
The brigadier said this had averted a major disaster. He said that for the security forces, the priority was the safety and security of the people.
Responding to a question about community driven intelligence, the military spokesman said, “I would like to thank the Muslim community and others in the Kalmunai area for their support in identifying terrorist safe houses.” He urged the people to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the police or the security forces.