Fighting, Explosion Reported at Air Base in Sri Lanka
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COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Heavy fighting broke out late Friday at Sri Lanka’s main air force base on the outskirts of Colombo, prompting a one-hour cancellation of all flights to the adjacent international airport, officials said.
Police sources said a blast tore apart the control room of Sri Lanka’s largest air base, wounding at least two officers. The report could not be independently confirmed.
It was unclear who the attackers were at Katunayake air force base, about 20 miles north of the city center. Helicopters flew to the airfield from a second air base south of the city, police officials said.
“Troops have moved in and they have brought the situation under control,” a Defense Ministry official said. “The exact details of what has happened are not yet known.”
The heavily guarded base was raided last June by gunmen the government said were from the outlawed the Maoist-led People’s Liberation Front.
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