Sri Lankan intelligence agency warns political leaders not to travel together

Press Trust of India  |  Colombo 

Sri Lanka's intelligence agency has warned the country's top leadership not to travel together during the coming few weeks after information was received of possible terror attacks, a media report said Wednesday.

The move is part of the beefed up security arrangements in the island nation after a series of coordinated bomb blasts ripped off three churches and high-end hotels, killing 253 people and injuring 500 others.

The political leaders have also been asked to refrain from attending events, especially held in churches, temples and other religious place, reported.

They have been advised to use helicopters to commute to any place where their presence is unavoidable.

Meanwhile, Megapolis and Western Development asked the to deport 800 foreign Islamic clerics who were engaged in religious teaching at various madrasas across the country.

He said these clerics had arrived on tourist visas, but were engaged in Islamic religious teaching.

I urge the government to deport them immediately, the was quoted as saying by

Earlier, had said that his ministry would take steps to regulate the madrasas in the country.

Sirisena had on Monday banned Muslim women from any form of face veils in public using emergency powers in the wake of the bombings.

The regulations specifically mentions "any face garment which hinders identification".

A total of 106 suspects, including a Tamil and a school principal, have been arrested in connection with the blasts.

The Islamic State claimed the attacks, but the government has blamed local Islamist extremist group (NTJ) for the attacks.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

First Published: Wed, May 01 2019. 14:13 IST