A bomb threat reported via email to the Nawalapitiya–Pasbage Korale Divisional Secretariat triggered an emergency security operation on Monday, but authorities later confirmed the threat was false. This marks the fourth such security scare reported within a span of days.
According to police, an email warning of a bomb inside a storage room at the Divisional Secretariat was received by the official email account of the office earlier in the day. The message, reportedly sent from overseas, claimed that a bomb placed inside a tent would explode at around 2.00 p.m. on December 29.
Following the warning, officials immediately evacuated staff members and members of the public from the premises and alerted the security forces.
The Nawalapitiya Police, Special Task Force, Army bomb disposal unit and the Police K9 unit carried out a thorough inspection of the storage room and the entire office premises. After extensive searches, authorities confirmed that no suspicious objects or explosives were found.
Meanwhile, police also revealed that a similar bomb threat received via email by the Poojapitiya Divisional Secretariat had been confirmed as a hoax following investigations.
Despite the threat being declared false, police have deployed special security at the Poojapitiya Divisional Secretariat as a precautionary measure, a senior police officer said.
Investigations revealed that the threatening email to the Poojapitiya Divisional Secretariat had been received on December 28, warning officials to vacate the premises before 2.00 p.m. the following day due to a possible terrorist attack. As the previous day was a holiday, the message was only noticed on Monday.
Acting on instructions from the Divisional Secretary, an official lodged a complaint with the police, prompting an immediate response.
Security forces evacuated the premises and conducted a special search operation with bomb disposal units and sniffer dogs, which lasted nearly four hours. No suspicious items were found.
Police said these incidents come amid a series of recent hoax threats, including a bomb scare involving a Qatar-bound flight on Sunday and a similar threat reported at the Kandy Divisional Secretariat on Friday.
Investigations are underway to trace the source of the threatening emails. (Newswire)