Seventeen Tamil civilians including two women were arrested in a cordon and search operation conducted in Wellawatte in Colombo police division from 8:00 p.m. until 12:00 midnight on Wednesday, Wellawatte Police Officer-in-Charge (OIC), Mangala Dehideniya, told the media. The arrested are being detained in the police station and are being interrogated, the OIC added.

Police said some of those arrested were staying in houses with their relatives, and some were staying in lodges without registering their presence with the respective police stations.

Once the investigation completed they would be produced in court, police sources said.