More than 1000 terrorist suspects were detained yesterday during the cordon and search operation in Colombo Municipal limits after the government imposed a surprise 14- hour curfew to flush out LTTE members in the city and suburbs, security officials said. The curfew began on Thursday midnight after an hour's notice and was lifted at 12.30 p.m., one and a half-hours earlier before the scheduled time for the lifting.

     Authoritative sources revealed to the Daily Mirror that the prime motive behind the cordon and search operation had been to apprehend LTTE suspects and obtain information about the suicide bombers who have infiltrated the city and suburbs. A Senior Superintendent of Police attached to Police Headquarters has told The Weekend Express yesterday that this was also aimed at looking out for the underworld gang leaders, their supporters and accomplices of the suspected suicide bombers. A top ranking Army Official has told The Weekend Express that the decision for the massive operation was taken after the second suicide bomb explosion and assassination of ACTC leader Kumar Ponnabalam. The Flower Road bomb explosion was just after a similar attempt on the President's life just two weeks before.

     According to officials more than 5000 army, navy, air force, STF and police personnel took part in this huge cordon and search operation.

     About 1,217 suspects including 195 women were taken in to custody, and 30 suspects were alleged to have been linked to the bomb blast opposite the Prime Minister's office at Flower Road, Colombo, The Daily News said. A few of the suspects were said to have connections with the underworld. More than 150 registrations were cancelled due to forged and incomplete documents, using invalid documents and for failing to renew registrations.

     Meanwhile a team of forensic experts from the United States have arrived in Colombo on Thursday to assist the local experts in investigations into the Town Hall bomb blast, Weekend Express said.

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