7 kg claymore detected near Police quarters

Ranil Wijayapala

COLOMBO: The Security Forces and the Police, acting on a tip off from a member of the public detected a claymore mine weighing seven kilograms placed near a lamp post close to Sir Baron Jayatilake Vidyalaya around 9 am yesterday, Police said.

According to Police, the location is also very close to the Police Quarters on Sir Baron Jayatilaka Mawatha and the bomb believed to have been placed targeting the Police Special Task Force personnel.

The Maligawatta Police took prompt action to evacuate the people from the area and defused the bomb with the help of the Police Special Task Force Bomb Disposal Squad, a spokesman for the Media Centre for National Security said.

Military Spokesman Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe said they suspect that bomb has been placed targeting STF personnel since the route is being frequently used by them.

"Security Forces personnel recovered the bomb placed near a lamp post under a small undergrowth and STF bomb disposal squad defused the bomb", he said.