Sri Lanka gun battle with militants kills 15, US pulls citizens outSecurity personnel seen at the site of an overnight gun battle, between troops and suspected Islamist militants, on the east coast of Sri Lanka, in Kalmunai, April 27, 2019. A police spokesman said three suspected suicide bombers were among the dead following Friday’s gun battle. SEE ALSO :52 dead as blasts hit Sri Lanka churches, hotelsAuthorities have warned there could be more attacks against religious centers following the bombings, which shattered the relative calm in Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka since a conflict with mostly-Hindu ethnic Tamil separatists ended a decade ago. SEE ALSO :The unseen war - Part 2Two sources told Reuters on Saturday that Sri Lanka’s police chief had refused to accept Sirisena’s request to step down, in a further embarrassment for the president. Sri Lanka’s 22 million people include minority Christians, Muslims and Hindus.

Source: Standard Digital April 27, 2019 16:30 UTC