Sri Lanka arrests five suspected Tamil rebel accomplices

Colombo, Oct. 24 (ANI): Sri Lankan police on Sunday revealed the arrest of five suspected accomplices of the former Tamil Tiger rebels.

Police spokesman and superintendent Prishantha Jayakodi told reporters here that three of them had been arrested in the central hill area of Talawakelle by the central provincial counter-terrorism unit.

The other two were arrested in Jaffna. All of the arrests took place on Saturday. They were possessing explosives used in mortar shells, the police said.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister DM Jayaratne told parliament last week that authorities are on alert for moves by Tamil Tiger diaspora to activate some of their local cells who had escaped the military operations.

The rebels' 30-year-old separatist campaign was crushed by the military in May last year. (ANI)