Bomb defused opposite TNA MP's residence

RAFIK JALALDEEN

A bomb weighing 1.5kg was recovered on a tip-off and defused by the Air Force last morning opposite the residence of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarian M. K. Shivajilingham at the Summit Flats in Keppitipola Mawatha, Jawatta, Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said.

A suspicious parcel had been placed near a telephone post exactly opposite the Summit Flats where TNA Parliamentarian Shivajilingham resides. Following information from a civilian, police and the Air Force bomb disposal unit rushed to the scene at around 8.40 a.m.

"A bomb weighing 1.5kg was found in the parcel which was designed to be triggered by detonator. The bomb was concealed in a cardboard carton enclosed in a metal cover and consisted 1kg of C4 explosives, electronic detonator and steel balls," Brigadier Nanayakkara said.

When civilians detected the suspicious parcel they informed the police and the bomb was defused. "The bomb may have been brought with a certain target in mind," he said.

The Summit Flats are located in the High Security Zone in Colombo. "We believe that a suspect who brought the bomb into the HSZ had left it on the road due to the massive search operation conducted following the twin bomb attacks last week in Colombo and its suburbs," he added.