Fifteen bodies, including those of six children and three women were found when suicide bombers blew themselves up during a shootout with security forces in Sri Lanka's Eastern province, police said on Saturday, 27 April.
The security forces continued their hunt for members of the local terror group National Thowheeth Jamath (NTJ) which was behind the deadly Easter Sunday bombings in which 253 people were killed and over 500 injured.
The heavily-armed men opened fire on troops, leading to the shootout on Friday night. A civilian, who was caught in the gun battle, died.
Three men are believed to have set off explosives during the violent clashes.
The curfew imposed in the Muslim-majority areas of Kalmunai, Chavalakade and Sammanthurai would continue until further notice, the police said.
"When the police was doing a joint search operation in Sainthamuruthu, gunfire was directed at them," police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said.
A suicide blast took place and the body of a terrorist with a T56 assault rifle was found at the site.
The police said that 20 more people were arrested in connection with the April 21 bombings.
Officials also seized one kg of explosives near a railway station at Wellawatta, a popular south Colombo suburb.
The curfew was lifted for other areas at 4 AM on Saturday.
Security has been improved at hotels, schools and public places.
Nine suicide bombers carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels on the Easter Sunday, killing 253 people.
The Islamic State claimed the attacks, but the government has blamed local Islamist extremist group NTJ for the attacks.
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