COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, June 18 (UPI) -- Sri Lanka has tightened security in its sensitive northern and eastern regions following an increase in ethnic violence in the rebel-held area.
"There is no fresh alert, but vigil is being maintained. Security has been beefed up in almost all threatened villages. The exact villages cannot be specified, but they are spread across northern, eastern and north-eastern Sri Lanka," said Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe, Sri Lankan military spokesman.
Samarasinghe said the situation in Talaimannar, which saw a sudden battle between security forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, is under control. "Clearing operations are now almost over," he said.
The Hindu newspaper reported Monday that three policemen were killed Sunday in what was believed to be a LTTE claymore mine blast targeting a water-tanker in the northern Vavuniya district. The army and police conducted search and clear operations in the affected areas.
In related news, the police and Navy said a major LTTE attack had been averted following the arrest of five Sea Tigers on a mission to lay magnetic sea mines targeting naval patrol vessels off the western coast.
"Three bombs have been recovered from coastal villages on the outskirts of Colombo," the police said while carrying out clearing operations in search of arms believed to have been abandoned by the LTTE.
Compounding tensions in the island country, LTTE political wing leader S.P. Tamilselvan said the LTTE would retaliate if aerial strikes continued. Last week, the Sri Lankan air force launched aerial attacks on specific rebel hideouts.
