6 CHILDREN, 3 WOMEN WERE AMONG 15 PEOPLE KILLED DURING SHOOTOUT IN SRI LANKA

After the terror attacks in Sri Lanka, the country has ordered red alert across every city and town. The bodies of 15 people, including six children and three women were discovered at the site of a fierce overnight gun battle on the east coast of Sri Lanka.

According to India Today, the shootout between security troops and suspected Islamist militants began on Friday evening in Sainthamaruthu in Ampara. A police spokesman said that three suspected suicide bombers were among the 15 dead after the shoot out. While, one child caught in the crossfire was admitted to hospital.

India Today reports further state that Military spokesman Sumith Atapattu in a statement said that as troops headed towards the safe house three explosions were triggered and gunfire began. "Troops retaliated and raided the safe house where a large cache of explosives had been stored". He said the militants were suspected members of the domestic Islamist group National Towheed Jama'at (NTJ), which has been blamed for last Sunday's attacks.

The military officer further claimed that, Bomb-making materials, dozens of gelignite sticks and thousands of metal balls were found in a search of a separate house in the same area.

Currently, Sri Lankan Police have detained at least 76 people, including foreigners from Syria and Egypt, in their investigations so far. Twenty were arrested in the past 24 hours alone.