266 Tamils arrested in search operation in Colombo

[TamilNet, Saturday, 03 February 2007, 07:57 GMT]
Sri Lanka Police said 266 Tamils, including 53 women, were arrested in a dawn to noon house-to-house search operation, conducted by hundreds of police and armed troops in Fort area and its suburbs in Colombo city, Saturday. They are detained in Fort Police Station and are being interrogated by specially appointed police investigation teams, the police said. The police said the arrested are permanent residents of Jaffna district.

Vehicles garaged in houses and business establishment were also searched during the operation, sources said.

Police said this special operation had been conducted in tightening the security of the city in preparation to the 59th anniversary Independence Day celebration, Sunday.

Government security forces have been conducting random cordon and search operations in several parts of the Colombo city where Tamils move in large numbers.

Meanwhile, police said that a claymore mine was recovered during a cordon and search operation in Maligawatte, a suburb in Colombo city, Saturday.

Police further said the two kg claymore mine was found in a three-wheeler parked in a house in the area.

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