Sri Lankan forces with masked-men arrest 15 Tamils in Colombo

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 November 2008, 15:20 GMT]
About fifteen Tamil youths were taken into custody in a cordon and search operation conducted by the Sri Lanka Army and Sri Lanka Police in Aluthmawatte (Muhaththuwaram) area in Colombo city from Tuesday morning till evening the same day with the help of masked men. This was the first time in recent days the public witnessed masked men with the SLA and the Police in the search operation.

Three or more masked men accompanied the military and the police in the search operation.

SLA soldiers and policemen went to each house, shop and other public institutions in the area with the masked men and took into custody several persons identified by masked men.

Most of the arrested had been working in shops and other commercial establishments in the area and several of them had been performing Kanthasaddi fast that concluded on Tuesday when they were arrested, according to the residents. Those who proved their identity and submitted other documents to prove their occupation were also taken into custody.

Tension prevails among Tamil population in the city following the mass arrest by government forces using masked men once again, civil sources said according to media reports.