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Naval officer averts catastrophe

COLOMBO: Amid reports of continued heavy fighting along the Forward Defence Lines (FDLs) in the north, Sri Lanka Army Chief Sarath Fonseka visited Wanni area on Saturday “to give further instructions on future security arrangements” in those areas.

Separately, the military said a junior officer of the navy on leave averted a bloodbath attempted by the LTTE in Anuradhapura town by defusing a bomb weighing 1.5 kg on Sunday.

“The bomb was located in the weekend fair in the Anuradhapura town around 11.15 a.m.

“Civilians shopping at the fair detected a suspicious plastic can that is used to store engine oil, placed near a fruit stall.

“The Petty Officer, who was alerted by the disturbance, volunteered to check the suspicious can.

“Having identified that the can was a time bomb, the Petty Officer asked the public to vacate the place immediately and engaged himself in defusing the bomb”, the military said.

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