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Central & South Asia
Sri Lankan police seal off capital
There were huge traffic jams at every entry point to Colombo.
Last Modified: 28 Apr 2007 09:33 GMT
The measures came as Sri Lankans prepared to
cheer their team in the cricket world cup finals

Police and security forces sealed off Colombo, Sri Lanka's capital, searching every vehicle entering and leaving the city amid fears of a Tamil Tiger attack, officials said.

There were huge traffic jams at every entry point to Colombo on Saturday with motorists spending several hours before they could be allowed in.

"This is part of the operations to prevent Tigers getting into the city," a police official said, saying no arrests were made during the three-hour operation.

 

The security measure came as Sri Lankans prepared to watch their team play Australia

Air space violated

 

The move follows heightened security in the capital after the defence ministry said Tamil separatists had entered the air space of the island's only international airport overnight on Thursday.

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), who have been fighting the government for 35 years and run a mini-state in the north of the island, bombed the nearby Katunayake air base a month ago in their first ever air strike.
 
They staged a second air raid on the Palaly military complex in the north early on Tuesday.
Source:
Agencies
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