The body of a young woman, who had died after falling from the 13th floor of a multi-storey residential building, was recovered early this morning (Sept. 09).

Reports revealed that the deceased was a British citizen of Sri Lankan origin.

The body was found after the Mount Lavinia police officers received a complaint at around 2:40 a.m.

The 27-year-old had arrived on the island on March 08 this year and purchased an apartment unit in the aforementioned residential building located at Alwis Road in Mount Lavinia.

It was also reported that she was romantically involved with a young law student from the Wellawatta area with whom she had become acquainted via Facebook.

Upon her arrival, she had been living in the apartment with her 29-year-old boyfriend unit for the past six months. The police said the young man, who is pursuing higher studies in Switzerland, had returned to the island in 2022.

According to reports, she was supposed to fly back to England tomorrow (Sept. 10). During interrogations, the boyfriend told the police couple they had had a fallout in the early hours of the day.

It was also revealed that he had consumed at least 6 cans of beer before going to bed last night. He said he had looked for her after realizing she was missing and that he later noticed her body lying on the floor outside the apartment unit.

Mount Lavinia Police is investigating the incident further to ascertain if foul play was involved in the death of the young woman.

The magisterial inquest into the death was conducted this afternoon, and the post-mortem is scheduled to be performed tomorrow.

(Adaderana)

The Ministry of Defence has categorically rejected the allegations made by British television network Channel 4 pertaining to the Easter Sunday Attacks.

Issuing a statement, the Defence Ministry vehemently denounced the accusations which have shifted the blame of the Easter Sunday Attacks onto the Military Intelligence and Major General Suresh Sallay, the present Director General of the State Intelligence Service of Sri Lanka.

The Ministry said in the wake of the bombings, the government, law enforcement agencies, Security Forces and international investigation agencies launched extensive investigations.

The Defence Ministry noted that over the years, these investigations, both local and international, have consistently pointed to ISIS-affiliated group members led by Zahran Hashim as the architects of this horrifying tragedy.

It added, successive governments have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to uncovering the full truth.

The Ministry said they have done so by facilitating transparent investigations conducted by both local and international professional agencies.

These investigations including the meticulous work of the Criminal Investigation Department, Counter Terrorist Investigation Division and the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI), have consistently corroborated the responsibility of the radical extremist group for the attack. Additionally, the Sectoral Oversight Committee on National Security played a pivotal role in proposing measures to bolster national security.

Moreover, Defence Ministry said it is imperative to underline that the comprehensive investigation conducted by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the United States, along with the subsequent verdict rendered by the US Department of Justice, have reaffirmed the findings of local investigations.

The Ministry stressed that this resounding endorsement from an international investigative agency further substantiates the accuracy and integrity of the investigation.

The statement goes on to say, while the Ministry of Defence respects the freedom of expression and upholds the significance of investigative journalism, it emphatically asserts that Channel 4 will be held unequivocally accountable for any unforeseen actions or repercussions stemming from their unfounded, malevolent, and poorly substantiated claims made in the video documentary.

The Ministry of Defence said on behalf of the government of Sri Lanka, it reiterates the unwavering commitment to the truth, justice and the well-being of the nation.

The statement by the Ministry of Defence:

In the face of a heinous and merciless assault that shook the world – the Easter Sunday Attack of 2019 – which claimed the lives of nearly 270 innocent souls, including children and foreigners, Sri Lanka and the International Community watched in horror. In the wake of this catastrophe, the Sri Lankan Government, its Law Enforcement Agencies, Security Forces and international investigation agencies launched exhaustive investigations. Over the years, these investigations, both local and international, have consistently pointed to ISIS-affiliated group members led by Zahran Hashim as the architects of this horrifying tragedy.

However, it is with unwavering resolution and an unyielding commitment to the truth that the Ministry of Defence wishes to respond to the recent documentary produced by British Channel 4 television cooperation on 5th September 2023. This documentary audaciously shifts the blame of the Easter Sunday Attack onto Military Intelligence and Major General Suresh Sallay, the present Director General of the State Intelligence Service of Sri Lanka.

The Ministry of Defence vehemently denounces the accusation of orchestrating the attack and assisting the bombers against a dedicated senior military officer who has served the nation for 36 years. Major General Suresh Sallay served at the Sri Lanka High Commission in Malaysia as Minister-Counsellor from December 2016 until December 2018. He left for India on 3rd January 2019 and returned to Sri Lanka on 30th November 2019 after completing the National Defence College Course in Delhi. This officer was never in Sri Lanka during the period mentioned in the Channel 4 video documentary. Furthermore, during the said period (December 2016 to November 2019), this officer was not employed in the Intelligence and Security Apparatus of the country, nor did he hold any official responsibilities in those fields. The Ministry of Defence also reiterates that no terrorists involved in the Easter Sunday attack have ever been on the government payroll. Therefore, the Ministry of Defence categorically refutes these outrageous allegations and expresses profound dismay at Channel 4 for promulgating such a malicious and unsubstantiated narrative.

In the wake of the Easter Sunday Attack, successive Sri Lankan governments have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to uncovering the truth. They have done so by facilitating transparent investigations conducted by both local and international professional agencies. These investigations including the meticulous work of the Criminal Investigation Department, Counter Terrorist Investigation Division and the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI), have consistently corroborated the responsibility of the radical extremist group for the attack. Additionally, the Sectoral Oversight Committee on National Security has played a pivotal role in proposing measures to bolster national security.

Moreover, it is imperative to underline that the comprehensive investigation conducted by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the United States, along with the subsequent verdict rendered by the US Department of Justice, have reaffirmed the findings of local investigations. This resounding endorsement from an international investigative agency further substantiates the accuracy and integrity of the investigation.

Despite unwavering and magnanimous endeavours, Channel 4’s myopic and malevolent conduct not only imperils the very fabric of Sri Lankan society by sowing seeds of discord but also shamelessly jeopardizes the reputation and safety of those who have resolutely upheld their integrity and responsibility.

While the Ministry of Defence respects the freedom of expression and upholds the significance of investigative journalism, the Ministry of Defence emphatically asserts that Channel 4 will be held unequivocally accountable for any unforeseen actions or repercussions stemming from their unfounded, malevolent, and poorly substantiated claims made in the video documentary. On behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka, the Ministry of Defence hereby categorically refutes these false allegations and reiterates the government’s unwavering commitment to the truth, justice and the well-being of the Nation.

A powerful 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Morocco on Friday night, killing nearly 300 people and forcing many residents to spend the night in the streets in what the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said was the strongest tremor to hit that part of the North African nation in more than a century.

The quake struck in Morocco’s High Atlas mountain range shortly after 11 p.m. local time at the relatively shallow depth of 18.5 kilometers (11.4 miles), USGS said, with the epicenter located about 72 kilometers (44.7 miles) southwest of Marrakech, a city of some 840,000 people and a popular tourist destination.

At least 296 people were killed, and 153 others were wounded, Morocco state-run Al-Aoula television reported on Saturday.

The Royal Moroccan Armed Forces warned that residents were still vulnerable to aftershocks.

“We remind you of the need to exercise caution and take safety measures due to the risk of aftershocks,” the military wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The USGS said Friday night’s quake was unusually strong for the region.

“Earthquakes of this size in the region are uncommon, but not unexpected. Since 1900, there have been no earthquakes M6 (magnitude 6) and larger within 500 km of this earthquake, and only 9 M5 (magnitude 5) and larger earthquakes,” USGS said.

The US body predicted that “significant damage is likely and the disaster is potentially widespread”, noting that many people in the area reside in structures that are “highly vulnerable to earthquake shaking”.

State-run Al-Aoula television on Saturday showed multiple buildings collapsed near the epicenter and reported that thousands of people had fled their homes after the country’s National Institute of Geophysics warned of aftershocks.

In Marrakech, some houses in the tightly packed old city have collapsed and people were moving debris by hand while they waited for heavy equipment, local resident Id Waaziz Hassan told Reuters news agency.

Another Marrakech resident, Brahim Himmi, told Reuters he saw ambulances coming out of the old town and that many building facades were damaged. He said people were frightened and were staying outside in case of another quake.

Shaking was also felt in the capital Rabat, some 350km north of of the High Atlas mountains, Reuters said citing eyewitnesses.

Source: CNN