Father takes kids hostage using grenade

A man held his two children hostage in Hanwella inside a house with a grenade before they were rescued by the Police Special Task Force (STF).

The incident had occurred following a dispute with his wife, the Police said.

According to the Police, the woman had moved out of her house with their two children following a dispute with the husband.

The husband had got information that she had moved to a house in Hanwella.

The man had then gone to the house while the woman was away and took the children hostage.

He had threatened to explode the grenade if the woman did not return.

The STF and the Police attempted to negotiate the release of the hostages but the negotiations failed.

Eventually, the Police broke into the house and rescued the children and arrested the suspect.

The Police said that the grenade was also defused by the bomb disposal squad.

The children were admitted to hospital after it came to light that the man had injected an unknown substance into one child. (Colombo Gazette)