By Sumaiya Rizwi and Dianne Silva

The military claims that several army deserters are holed up at a leading Colombo hotel and troops have been deployed to surround the hotel to ensure law and order is maintained.

Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakara, speaking to Daily Mirror online a short while ago, claimed that the deserters who could use weapons are at the hotel with opposition members including those backing General Sarath Fonseka.

He said that this resulted in the security establishment deploying troops to surround the hotel last night.

Meanwhile the Fonseka camp stated that the parties supporting the common opposition candidate were at the hotel and did not consist of any army deserters.

“The leaders of the UNP, JVP and the other parties are with us but there are no army deserters here. There are about 400 of us and the hotel has been surrounded by the Army,” Fonseka’s Secretary Seneka De Silva told Daily Mirror Online.