Sri Lanka intel agency warns political leaders not to travel together

President Maithripala Sirisena (right) with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. Pic/AFP

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 on Wednesday.

President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and opposition leader Mahinda Rajapaksa are among the leaders who have received the advice. The move is part of the beefed up security arrangements in the country after Easter Sunday bomb blasts that killed 253 people and injured 500 others.

The leaders have also been asked to refrain from attending events, especially held in churches, temples and other religious place, the Daily Mirror reported. They have been advised to use helicopters to travel to any place where their presence is unavoidable.

Meanwhile, minister Patali Champika Ranawaka asked the government to deport 800 foreign Islamic clerics who were engaged in religious teaching at madrasas across the nation.
Meanwhile, the three member-committee appointed by President Sirisena to probe the attacks release its report on May 6 and has recorded statements from several top state authorities, including former defence secretary and the suspended police chief, officials said.

Zakir Naik's Peace TV blocked in SL

Two of Sri Lanka's major cable TV operators - 'Dialogue' and 'SLT' - have blocked Indian Islamic preacher Zakir Naik's Peace TV following the blasts, according to a media report. India and Bangladesh have already banned Malaysia-based Naik's Peace TV, which has often been used by ISIS recruiters for indoctrination and brainwashing the youth. The contents in English, Urdu and Bangla are telecast from Dubai. However, an official announcement on this yet to be made, Colombo Gazette reported.

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