Sirasa-MTV studious at Depanama LIBERATED!!

Sirasa-MTV studious at Depanama LIBERATED!! 

An armed group of about 10 to 12 men had forcibly entered the Depanama, Pannipitiya MBC-MTV transmission station, popularly known among SL listeners and viewers as 'Sirasa' around 2.00 am and had set the Main Controlling Room (MCR) on fire after vandalizing the whole complex, say media personnel who rushed to the scene when news about the attack got circulated.

The heavily armed group of men who had come with their faces masked, had fired into the complex, assaulted the staff they came upon, while smashing up everything in their way.

Some employees had been badly assaulted while another had been dragged with a pistol held to the head to find where the MCR is, say insiders.

The MCR had been broken up and set on fire before the gang got away, reportedly in a jeep and a van in which they came.

The fire brigade that was rushed to the place had not entered the building to put out the fire as the gang had warned before leaving the place is wired to be blasted.

A bomb disposal squad that subsequently arrived had found the wires pulled around had been fake, to scare off the staff.

They had nevertheless found a grenade that had not gone off, indicating the MCR had been attacked by grenades.

The group, it is said had laid siege for over half an hour to effect maximum damage before making their getaway.

Broadcasting of all MBC FM channels and telecasting of all MTV channels will thus be temporarily disrupted, say MTV sources, adding that alternate arrangements are already underway to begin transmissions.

This MBC-MTV station in Pannipitiya was previously attacked with petrol bombs by an unknown gang on the night of 02nd January for allegedly airing entertainment programmes without carrying programmes to honour the capture of Kilinochchi.

That had very minimal damage caused and was condemned by 04 media organizations.