Monday, August 28 2006 17:54 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Colombo: Special security search operations have been carried out in the Sri Lankan capital to prevent terror attacks in the city, an official said today (Aug 28, 2006). Police chief Chandra Fernando said over 1,600 vehicles and 3,100 people here were subject to a special check Sunday. The police detained 76 people for questioning and 50 of them were released after their statements were recorded.

Fernando said the checks were aimed at strengthening security. He added that the remaining 26 suspects would be thoroughly interrogated. Said Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe, the military spokesman: "Operations are needed to prevent terrorists from carrying out attacks in Colombo".

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels have been accused of carrying out several deadly attacks in the capital since late April forcing the security establishment to carry out sudden search operations to nab members of the LTTE assigned for terror attacks. Samarasinghe said the troops and the LTTE continued Monday to engage in artillery and mortar battles. At least 16 soldiers were admitted to the Polonnaruwa hospital after being injured by rebel mortar fire at Selvanagar and Kattaparichan areas in the eastern port district of Trincomalee today. A hospital spokesperson said the condition of two soldiers was serious. The clashes have shifted to the east after continued battles since Aug 11 in the northern Jaffna peninsula. The Jaffna fighting subsided last week as the military said they had fully consolidated in the area after a rebel onslaught. The clashes, the worst since the February 2002 ceasefire brokered by the Norwegian peace facilitators, have marred efforts to kick-start the stalled process of negotiations. More than 1,700 people have been killed since December 2005 adding to the over 64,000 killed in the conflict from mid 1980s until February 2002.