By IANS
Colombo : The Sri Lanka government Monday closed all the schools in the Colombo zone for a week, in view of the recent terrorist bombings in the country’s capital.
The government had already postponed a much-awaited mega exhibition here to mark the 60th anniversary of the independence of Sri Lanka. The “Deyata Kirula” exhibition was to open on Independence Day Monday. It would now be held between Feb 7 and 10.
The exhibition was expected to attract massive crowds. But there was a huge security risk because the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) had begun to target civilian congregations, railway stations and bus stands across the country.
Schools in Sinhalese-speaking south Sri Lanka began to face a threat, especially after a claymore mine blast in Madu, an LTTE-controlled area in the northwestern district of Mannar, had killed 18 school children travelling in a bus.
In addition, there had always been a warning that the LTTE’s bombers might approach schools disguised as ice cream vendors.
Meanwhile, the police raided the registered address of the mobile phone used to spread a bomb threat Monday.
An anonymous caller had told media offices that bombs were going to go off in several places in Colombo on Independence Day and that people should avoid going to see the parade.