Sunday, August 14 2005 14:27 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Colombo: Amid intensified security, hundreds of Sri Lankan police personnel armed with emergency powers today (Aug 14, 2005) stepped up hunt for the assassins of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar as authorities rejected reports of arrest of 12 people saying they were only questioned for not having proper identification papers.

Police said no formal arrest had been made while conducting house-to-house searches and road checks but people without proper identification papers were being questioned.

"We are a long way from making any arrests but we have detained some people for questioning and they will be released as soon as their identities are established," Deputy Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara said. "That is an ongoing process."

He also denied media claims that a dozen people had been "arrested."

Military spokesman Daya Ratnayake had earlier said the 12 people detained by the military and handed over to police were not directly linked to Kadirgamar's assassination.

"The 12 people, including a woman, basically did not have proper identity papers," Ratnayake said. "We don't think they were involved in the assassination in any way."

Public cooperation was being sought to track down the two snipers, suspected to be Tamil Tiger rebels, who got away after the Friday night killing with police believing that they are likely to be still holed up somewhere in the capital.

The tightly-guarded Minister was killed by three bullets fired by snipers from the upper floor of a house opposite his private residence as he left his swimming pool.