More than 15 people are estimated to have died after a shootout between the security forces and terrorists in eastern Sri Lanka on Saturday. Two terrorists have managed to flee, reports Sri Lankan media outlets.
According to reports, three explosions were heard during the exchange of fire with suspects at a house in the town of Sainthamaruthu, Kalmunai. In the raid, authorities seized a large cache of explosives, 100,000 ball bearings and ISIS uniforms and flags from the house, which appeared to be a bomb making factory or storage facility.
The government had declared emergency in the country. The raids came after Easter day attacks on Churches, which killed 253 people.
Terror outfit National Touheed Jama’ath (NTJ), which has strong ideological ties with Islamic State, has been blamed for the attacks.
Apart from terrorists, children and civilians were also killed in the raid on the hideout, Maj. Gen. Aruna Jayasekera, told media. One wounded suspect fled on a bike, and another suspected terrorist could be on the run as well, Jayasekera added.
The police identified Mohamed Niyas among dead, who is the brother-in-law of dreaded terrorist Zahran Hashim. Hashim was the ringleader of the Easter Sunday attacks.
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