Sri Lankan police has intensified security measures in the capital Colombo, officials said Saturday.

Rohan Abeywardena, deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Colombo security, said that special plans are underway to nab possible infiltration by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels to carry out attacks in the city.

"This would mean sudden checks on vehicles and people entering the city with additional road check points being placed", Abeywardena said. He said at least three suspected rebel cadres had been arrested in the city since Thursday.

Last week the police raided the temporary lodging houses and sent back to the north and east some 300 members of the Tamil community on suspicion of rebel links.

The move came in for heavy criticism by the international community, the opposition parties and human rights groups.

Later in the week with the Supreme Court ordering the authorities to stop the move, those sent out of Colombo were brought back to the city.

The government said the move was necessary as the lodges were being used by the rebels to plot attacks in the city.

The state-run Daily News on Friday said "According to intelligence reports the Tiger outfit was awaiting to cause a huge explosion using nearly 1,000 kg explosives to fully accomplish their target to send in Tiger cadres to fully destabilize the security in Colombo".

The government maintains that in order to ensure national security drastic action was necessary. The government accused the rebels of attempting to disrupt life in the capital due to frustration in the face of several military defeats in the eastern province.

More than 5,000 people have been killed in the upsurge of violence since the end of 2005.

Source: Xinhua