Sri Lanka raids terror hideout amid fears of new bombings

Fifteen people, including six children, have been killed during a gun battle between Sri Lanka police and suspected militants, nearly a week after at least 250 people lost their lives in a string of bombings.

The new deaths came as police, backed by military forces, raided a house in the town of Sainthamaruthu in eastern Sri Lanka on Friday night, sparking an hour-long gun battle. 

Local authorities said Saturday three men blew themselves up during the raid, killing three women and six children who were caught in the crossfire. 

“Three other men, also believed to be suicide bombers, were found dead outside the house," police said.

Police were investigating the victims' possible relationship to the gunmen.

The clashes came hours after police raided a nearby location where they believed militants recorded a video pledge of allegiance to Daesh leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi before carrying out the Easter Sunday bombings.

The terrorist group had released footage of eight men whom it said had carried out the attacks last week. Sri Lankan officials said they were investigating the clip.

Police said they seized a large cache of explosives, 100,000 ball bearings and uniforms and flags similar to those worn by the men in the video.

The raid was part of a large-scale operation that has been launched in the aftermath of eight apparently coordinated blasts that hit churches and luxury hotels in the capital, Colombo, and the cities of Negombo and Batticaloa and left the country and the world in a great shock on Easter Sunday. 

The government blames a small group, known as National Tawheed Jamath (NTJ), for the Sunday bombings but the group has not claimed responsibility.

SS