COLOMBO: The Sri Lankan government has deployed 10, 000 policemen and thousands of soldiers of the armed services as part of security measures for the country’s Independence Day on Wednesday.

The celebrations are being held at a time when the Sri Lankan armed forces have bottled up the Tamil Tiger guerillas in a 230 sq km box in the north eastern district of Mullaitivu. But security experts believe that the Tigers could strike elsewhere, especially in Colombo and the south.

Fresh traffic barriers have come up in vulnerable areas. Gun toting troops are patrolling the streets and checking vehicles for bombs and suspected terrorists.

President Rajapakse’s government had weeks ago warned that the LTTE might stage terrorist strikes in Colombo and other places in the Sinhalese dominated south.

Naval gunboats have begun patrolling the sea off Colombo, as the main flag hoisting function and the military parade are to take place near the capital’s seafront.

The LTTE has previously conducted several nocturnal air raids on sensitive targets in Colombo, eg, the airport in Katunayake and on an oil storage facility within the city.