COLOMBO (Reuters) - A gun battle between troops and suspected Islamist militants on Sri Lanka's east coast left 15 dead, including six children, a military spokesman said on Saturday, six days after suicide bombers killed more than 250 people on the island. A police spokesman said three suspected suicide bombers were among the dead following Friday's gun battle. Two 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. The group released a video showing eight men, all but one with their faces covered, under a black Islamic State flag and declaring their loyalty to its leader, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi. Sri Lanka's 22 million people include minority Christians, Muslims and Hindus.

Source: The Star April 27, 2019 03:50 UTC